


Rewrite the Stars

by central_city_meta_pocalypse, darling_pet



Category: The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: 28K words, Alternate Universe - Pretty Woman Fusion, Angst, Angst and Feels, Apologies, Backstory, Bigotry & Prejudice, Blow Jobs, Business, Business Trip, Chaptered, Drama, F/M, Face Punching, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Feels, Fights, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Gambling, Gossip, Happy Ending, Heartbreak, Horse Racing, Jealousy, Light Bondage, Love Confessions, Mild Language, Nervous Harry, Oral Sex, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Pool Sex, Porn with Feelings, Pretty Woman References, Propositions, Prostitution, Reader-Insert, Reveal, Rich Harry, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Rules, S.T.A.R. Labs, Seduction, Sex Work, Sexual Content, Shopping, Smut, Swimming Pools, Teasing, Ties & Cravats, Unwanted Sexual Advances, Vaginal Fingering, asshole business partner, based on a movie, it is a romcom after all, safe sex, the best date ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-07-10 11:35:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15948536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/central_city_meta_pocalypse/pseuds/central_city_meta_pocalypse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/darling_pet/pseuds/darling_pet
Summary: While on a business trip, Harrison “Harry” Wells has a chance meeting with the Reader on the streets of Star City. Both from two very different worlds, these two spend the week together under the form of a ‘business proposition,’ only to discover that their feelings are more than strictly professional. Based on the 1990 film Pretty Woman.





	1. Chapter 1

****

 

**~Her~**

 

“You’ve got to be shitting me!”

I couldn’t even have a damned drink of water in my own home? Well, ‘home’ was a generous term for where I lived. I was pretty sure I had just downgraded to ‘slum’ because apparently the water had been shut off.

“Laurie, I thought you paid the water bill?” I shouted. When my friend didn’t reply with a shrill comeback about how she thought _I_ had, I assumed she was already out. That was the thing about Laurie and her work - the first one on the job, the last one off. And yet, with that much diligence, _why was our water being shut off?_

I ran my hand over my face and through my hair before heading back to my room to try and find the spare money I now needed. I examined my bank account on my phone and, after seeing it horribly close to empty, I went to check my stash I kept in a box disguised as a book on the shelf. I always kept enough cash in it for a rainy day such as this, enough for a month’s rent and other necessities.

Except when I opened it, there was less than forty dollars in it when there should have been nearly four-hundred. _Where the hell has my money gone?_

“Laurie, I’m going to kill you…” I murmured under my breath. I put my box back and made my way to my closet to find my jacket and heels for this evening if I was going to locate my roommate and potentially earn back the money I was going to need for rent as well as the water.

Better my little slum than out on the street.

Luckily, I was already in my ‘work clothes’ and not the sweatpants I wished I was wearing. I checked my reflection in the mirror and applied my red lipstick before adjusting the plunging neckline of my black dress. I hoped I’d be able to catch Laurie out on the street to give her a piece of my mind.

I scrambled out of our tiny and somewhat sketchy balcony and descended the fire escape. I slipped my black platform heels on once I hit the pavement and some dude standing next to me got a good look down my dress.

“See something you like, buddy?”

Uncomfortably, he shifted when I stood up and avoided eye contact. I could have teased him some more, but I didn’t have time for that. I needed to track down Laurie so I could shake her down for my cash.

I strutted down the street a couple of blocks to where we usually tried to hit up guys. A few horns honked at me on the way. I waved. It was like I was clocking in for my shift.

I spotted up ahead a woman leaning into someone’s vehicle window. She wore the shortest purple dress I’d ever seen - sequinned and sparkling in the light of the neon bar sign behind her. She had her legs on show, her platform heels making her legs even longer than they already were. I’d know those legs anywhere.

“Laurie!”

My friend turned coolly at me shouting her name, and she wiggled her fingers hello.

I mouthed ‘get over here!’ to her in a way that she knew I wasn’t messing around and I heard her say something to the potential client about waiting ‘just a sec’ before she came over to me.

“You know you’re probably going to cost me this guy, right?”

“Well, you’ve cost me a hell of a lot more! What could you possibly need three-hundred-and-fifty dollars for?” I exclaimed in a half whisper, gesturing with my hands.

“You don’t like it?” she asked with a pout, and for a second I was perplexed until she motioned to the purple dress clinging to her body. I was suddenly even more outraged.

“You spent over three-hundred dollars on _that?_ What are you? Crazy?”

“Not just this, I needed new underwear and some shoes too,” she tried to reason as I looked around trying to comprehend this information.

“Great. Well, we have no water now, by the way, so…” I threw my hands up before letting them fall back down at my sides.

“I thought you paid the bill,” she said, and I nearly decked her one. The car that she’d been leaning into previously honked its horn and Laurie and I both could tell they were getting impatient. She started to make her way back to it, still talking to me at an increased volume.

“Look, I will pay you back, okay? But it looks like it’s a slow night, so you’ve just gotta be patient!” I watched her open the door and get her leggy self comfortable in the seat.

“Just wonderful,” I said, not sure whether or not she heard me as she seemed distracted by something in the wing mirror of the car.

“Hey, (Y/N), Jaguar, two o’clock, that should make up for the slow night!” she yelled as the car drove away, the license plate staring back at me read COLDASICE, until it was too small to see anymore.

The Jaguar pulled up to the curb a little ahead of me. This was it. Time to get my money back. Cars worth that much money only ever showed up around here for one reason. I fluffed my hair and wiped the corners of my mouth for any trace of my lipstick before heading over to the car.

“Hey, hot stuff,” I cooed through the passenger side window of the man’s car. The dark-haired occupant seemed annoyed with the built-in GPS yelling directions at him in a monotone voice. Okay, so maybe two rreasons.“Lost your way?”

He did a double-take at me - a look I was used to in my line of work. The man’s piercing blue eyes stared me down as he gave a hard, “ _No._ ”

I knew at once that was a lie. Jaguar? Saint Laurent suit? Yeah, not from this part of Star City.

“Bullshit.” I wasn’t afraid to call him out. He looked like he could take it. “Let me offer you my services.”

“Excuse me? No, no, that’s not-”

“I’ll only charge you a twenty.”

“That’s… really? Only a twenty? I would have assumed… you know, _more_?”

“They’re just directions, Mister,” I winked at him. “And if you don’t act now, I’ll charge you forty.”

He kept his eyes on me, eyebrows furrowed slightly as he seemed to be weighing up his options.

“Going once…” I said in a sing-song voice. He let out a sigh.

“I’m trying to get to the Star City Plaza Hotel but this damn thing-” he said, pointing at the GPS, “-can’t seem to decide on where it is, let alone where I’m going.”

I tried to suppress a grin by biting my lower lip. “Well, lucky for you, I know how to get you there,” I said, opening the car door and sliding into the passenger seat. The man looked a little taken aback by my forwardness, but it didn’t faze me. He blinked a couple of times, his dark eyelashes catching the light from the street as I just stared back at him. When he made no move to pull out into traffic, I rolled my eyes and hit the ‘end route’ button on the touchscreen panel before looking at him again. “Carry on straight ahead, turn right when I tell you.”

If you asked me, this guy didn’t regularly take orders, especially with the way he looked at me.

“Now, go.”

The look in his eye changed slightly as he indicated to pull out and joined the stream of cars heading back uptown. He didn’t say a word, so I got comfortable in the seat, stretching my legs out in the footwell and reclined into the soft leather interior.

I’d probably never been in a car as expensive as this in my entire life.

The lights turned red up ahead, and we came to a stop again as I looked out of the window at the bustling nightlife. I usually had a whole repertoire of things to say to keep my clients in the mood, but considering that this guy technically wasn’t one, I was kind of at a loss for what to say.

In the end, it was him who broke the silence.

“You could have just given me directions from the street, you know?” he said, putting his foot down again as we moved forward in the queue. I shrugged.

“Twenty bucks is better than nothing, and it gets a little tricky to navigate up here. Wouldn’t want you getting even more lost,” I said, crossing my right leg over my left so that my skirt rode up my thigh a little more. “Plus I can always hope you’ll change your mind.”

I placed my hand on his thigh and slid it up closer to his crotch. He let out a soft chuckle but put his fingers around my wrist and deposited it back into my lap.

“What’s your name?” he asked with another glance.

“Whatever you want it to be,” I replied, a set answer I always used. But he just looked at me, raising one dark eyebrow in a way to tell me to be serious.

“It’s (Y/N). My name is (Y/N),” I said, trying not to smile at the way his lips twitched up into one. “And take the next right up here.”

“Well, _(Y/N),_ how much would time with you set me back?” he asked, and I could hear the curiosity in his voice as he signaled and made the turn. “More than twenty?”

“A hundred bucks,” I suggested instantly, looking at him as he glanced back at me.

“For the night?”

“For an hour.”

He laughed again, and though I wondered why, I didn’t ask.

“You’re joking.”

“I never joke about money,” I said with a grin and gestured in front of us. “Take this road up here.”

“Neither do I,” he admitted. I hummed in acknowledgement. _Good answer._ I pointed out the five-star hotel up ahead for him where he pulled up to the valet. The man handed over his keys to an attendant and beat the second attendant to open the passenger door for me to help me out. A true gentleman. You didn’t see those everyday.

“Thank you,” he said to the staff. I was about to ask for the twenty he now owed me, but then he surprised me. “Would you like to come up with me?”

The first thought that ran through my head was, _hell yes._ The following was, _money, money, money_ , and after getting a full look at this man in front of me, my final thought was, _I might actually enjoy myself tonight. Damn._

“Lead the way, Tall, Dark, and Handsome,” I said, touching his arm.

“Harrison, please,” he said.

“Harrison,” I said, taking his arm and pressing myself against him, “we’re going to have such a good time together.”

He gave a small smile and began to lead me inside the fancy hotel. The doorman opened the door for us with a quick ‘good evening, Sir.’ When we entered the lobby, which was full of people waiting for dinner reservations or to get a drink at the bar, I noticed a good number of the male patrons give me a lingering gaze or two as we walked through. Harrison led me over to the concierge’s desk, my heels clicking against the gleaming marble floor.

I was still trying to take in the grandeur of the place while Harrison asked for his messages and ordered some champagne and strawberries up to his room for us. As I looked around at the crystal chandeliers, I noticed that the man behind us in the queue couldn’t stop looking at me and _I_ couldn’t resist having a little fun with him.

While Harrison was still sorting a few things, I bent over to fiddle with the strap of my shoe, pretending to redo it, so that he got a good view of my ass in my tight dress. I stood up straight again when Harrison cleared his throat, and I looked innocently at him before glancing at the other man who’s chin might as well have been on the floor as he stared wide-eyed at me. I couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped me when we passed by and headed for the elevators.

“Did you have to do that?” Harrison asked me, placing his hand on the small of my back to guide me into the elevator.

“Sorry, but he was staring. What else was I meant to do?” I said, still smiling a little as he pressed the button for one of the top floors. I glanced at the panel and then back at him, only to see his lip twitch up in a smirk as he looked straight ahead.

The ride to the top was surprisingly quick, and when the doors opened, Harrison let me get out first and then ushered me to the white double doors at the end of the corridor, still with his hand on my back.

I wasn’t used to being around such a gentleman. Most guys I had as clients would have used this opportunity to have their hand on my ass the entire way up, but not Harrison.

Opening the door with his keycard, he let me inside, and I had to stop the gasp I wanted to let out. Before me lay a tremendous living space, tastefully decorated in white and black with blue accents, with a dining table and chairs off to one side. A set of sliding doors on the other side were pushed back revealing the master bedroom - a king sized bed with fresh linens. But what really caught my attention was the floor-to-ceiling windows all across the back wall which gave a beautiful view of the whole brightly lit city.

“Wow, you are living the high life, Harrison,” I said, taking a few steps in as my eyes scanned every inch of the place. “Do you always stay in the penthouse?”

“Yes, I do,” he said as he hung his coat up by the door. “You like it?”

“What’s not to like?” I said. I followed him further into the lavish suite as he went straight for the room’s desk.

“I’m assuming cash is fine?” he asked, pulling out his wallet.

“It’s preferred,” I said. Harrison held out a twenty dollar bill which I took. I started to wonder how much more I could get out of him. And have a bit of fun while we were at it. I stepped a little closer to him to play with his shirt collar and turned on my smooth-talking work voice, “So… what’s your pleasure, Harrison?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I think we both know why you brought me up here.” I ran my index finger across his bottom lip. He had the most gorgeous mouth, which had opened a bit now. But just when I thought I knew what he was going to say, the man surprised me.

“Could we… talk?”

 _Talk_?

“Talk? You mean dirty talk, right?”

Harrison exhaled through his nose to laugh. “No, I mean I want to regular talk with you.”

That had to be a first, and honestly, I was happily surprised. I’d never been in a situation like this. The only problem was that the clock was ticking. I needed to know I was getting paid for my time one way or another. I needed to know whether I’d be sleeping in a bed or the gutter next month.

“Listen, Harrison,” I started, “you seem like a really nice guy, and I don’t see that often. But I’m on an hourly rate here, and if we’re not going to-”

“-This is an issue for you, I take it?” he said, with his eyes already deducing me and my situation.

“A little bit, yeah.”

“How much for the entire night?” Harrison crossed his arms. _The entire night?_ I attempted the math in my head.

“You couldn’t afford it.”

“Try me,” he challenged.

“Five-hundred dollars.” The amount Laurie stole from me, plus some extra.

“Done,” Harrison replied without even missing a beat. The doorbell to the penthouse rang, startling me. “Ah, there’s the champagne. Now, please, take a seat and relax.”

My eyes were glued to his back as he went to answer the door, my mouth now hanging open slightly. Who was this guy? He was willing to spend five-hundred dollars on a night with a hooker he currently seemed to have no plans on sleeping with? And if he did later on, you wouldn’t see me complaining. This was quite possibly the most and easiest money I’d ever made.

I broke myself out of my thoughts as Harrison tipped the man and I took a seat on the couch, undoing the straps of my shoes and slipping them off. I tucked my legs up underneath me and watched Harrison uncork the bottle and pour two flutes before bringing them over to where I sat, along with a bowl of fresh strawberries.

“How do you walk in those?” he asked, looking at my abandoned footwear. He passed one of the glasses to me, for which I thanked him, and took a seat beside me, waiting for an answer.

“Practice. And a certain amount of fearlessness,” I answered with a grin, taking a long sip of the champagne. It was much more refined than I was used to in terms of choices of alcohol, though that was hardly surprising. Everything about Harrison’s life seemed to be.

I’d downed half the glass before I knew it and Harrison was quick to offer me the bowl of strawberries.

“You should try one, they really bring out the flavour in the champagne,” he said, and I let out a laugh because never had I even _thought_ about the best way to enjoy champagne. But after taking a bite, I realized that he was right, and I found myself a little envious of people who were able to enjoy the finer things in life. I finished the berry before speaking again.

“So… What do you want to talk about?” I asked, downing the rest of my drink. He made a face like he was thinking over how to go about asking me something.

“When- or, how did you, no. Have you ever…” Harrison’s phone rang in his pocket. After checking the screen, he uttered, “Sorry, I have to take this.”

I couldn’t lie - I had trouble reading this man. He could come across as confident one minute, but when it came to getting personal (either about himself or me), he’d have trouble finding his words.

I decided to get comfy, not knowing how long his call would end up taking. After all, he did kind of pay me to relax.

_Now, where’s the mini bar?_


	2. Chapter 2

****

 

**~Him~**

 

_She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met._

(Y/N) sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the television. I had no idea as to what the programme was, some kind of rerun of a 90s sitcom, but she was happy. And that’s all that mattered.

I looked back to the screen of my laptop, running a hand over my face when I saw the latest emails about the takeover of Ramon Industries. It wasn’t boding well. He seemed to be fighting me at every decision, every junction. I let out another sigh as she let out a laugh at something on the show, drawing my attention back to her.

“Oh, Phoebe…” (Y/N) muttered to the T.V. I chuckled, and she turned around. “Are you sure you don’t want to join me down here?” She’d surrounded herself with every sweet and tiny liquor bottle the suite had to offer. “There’s a little tequila with your name on it.”

I couldn’t help but let out another breath of laughter, glancing back at my screen. Her bright eyes were calling me, but I knew how much this deal was going to mean…

“You’ve been working all evening, Harrison, don’t you think it’s time to take a break?” she continued, sitting up on her knees and putting her hands in her lap. I considered it for a moment before pressing my lips together, slowly closing the lid of my laptop, standing, and making my way over to the couch. (Y/N)’s eyes followed me all the way.

She waited for me to sit comfortably before crawling over to me. I gazed at her with a look that was almost like a challenge. I found myself wanting to experience this, to let loose a little. It was a look that purely said ‘show me’.

At that, it’s like the look in her eyes had changed - one minute so joyously unburdened, then hungry and determined the next.

This was not something I did. Ever. But this whole situation seemed to come about by chance. I hadn’t planned this. And I planned everything! It snuck up on me, and yes, I couldn’t deny I was curious. But not because of her profession. _She_ made me curious.

When (Y/N) reached me, she placed her hands delicately on my thighs, neither of us looking away from the other’s eyes. She was nothing less than captivating - the way she looked at me, the way she moved, the way she was touching me now…

The breathtaking woman leant forwards, her face only an inch or so from mine and I found myself glancing at her full red lips.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said, “I don’t kiss on the mouth.”

“Neither do I.” I brought one hand up, running my knuckles softly over her cheek and then tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“What do you want?” she breathed, just brushing her lips over my jaw.

“What uh… what do you do?”

“Anything you want me to do.”

(Y/N)’s hands ran up my legs and over my chest, where her fingers began to undo the buttons of my shirt, gradually pulling the fabric back and getting me to relax. She used one finger to trace down the middle of my chest before coming to my belt, undoing that as well and languidly palming my already hardening self. I found myself needing so much more of her touch, unsure if this had to do with my lack of sexual encounters with a woman for the last decade or so, or whether it had to do with the complex and enthralling one in front of me, between my legs.

She seemed to sense my growing need, and I guessed that was part of what made her good at her job. I watched her, transfixed, as she pushed the straps of her dress off of her shoulders and shimmied out of the article to reveal her lacy underwear, before leaving it abandoned with her shoes on the floor. I reached out, putting my hands on her waist and gliding my fingers over her skin. (Y/N) brought me closer by pulling from under my knees, causing me to slide down the couch cushion. With her fingers, she tugged down my boxers to reveal my erection. Her pleased hum at the sight made it twitch, and I suddenly needed her to give it all of her attention, in any way she deemed fit.

(Y/N) looked up at me through her lashes, small smile playing on her lips as my chest rose and fell with my already heavy breaths under her. Leaning down, she started to press kisses to my skin, trailing those perfect lips down my torso and towards my cock.

I needed her to touch me, and I knew she knew it as well.

She exhaled her hot breath down the length of me, applying the optimal amount of pressure in her grip. At last, she let her mouth kiss the tip. A small action, but it made me even harder nevertheless. She teased me some more with those lips, almost-but-not-quite taking me in her mouth. I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. She laughed, one very different from the one she used when watching the television.

"Patience, Harrison. I want to make this good for you," she said, darting her tongue out and licking a stripe from the base to the tip, exacting an unholy noise from me.

It felt like an eternity until she finally slid my cock past her lips, stretching her mouth into a gorgeous red ‘O.’ She glided up me slowly, as far as her mouth could accommodate, then at the same pace went back down. Oh God, it was so slow and so good. I had altogether forgotten I could feel this way. It was like she was unlocking something I had buried away long ago.

I caught her gaze as she repeatedly tugged me into her mouth, but on one particular motion, she grazed her teeth against my skin. I stuttered a moan.

“(Y/N)...”

I didn’t need to tell her ‘faster’ because she already seemed to know exactly what I needed and upped her pace. It had been so long since I’d done anything of this nature that I didn’t think I would last much longer. I already felt a tightness coiling inside me that I desperately wanted to be relieved from yet also wanted to have continue forever.

I was sure I moaned some variations of positive affirmations, though it was hard to know for certain because I was taken someplace else entirely by this incredible woman.

(Y/N) squeezed her lips tight around my cock on her way down again and that was it - I was at her mercy. I made another noise I wasn’t proud of and realized she had removed her mouth from me. She pumped me in her hand not but a few times more until I came over her hand and chest. Relief washed over me. The pure bliss of finally having let go.

Before I even had the time to feel embarrassed, she made a noise that could only mean she was satisfied.

“How do you feel, Harrison?” she asked me.

_How do I answer this?_

“Relieved. Invigorated.” I left out the phrase, _utterly_ _taken with you._

“Wonderful,” she said with a winning smile, reaching for the tissues on the table beside the couch, “then I’ve done my job.”

_Oh right. Her job..._


	3. Chapter 3

 

**~Her~**

 

I slowly pushed myself up off of my knees and wandered towards the bathroom to properly clean myself up, but not without shooting Harrison another smile over my shoulder. I loved the look on his face right now, blissful and relaxed; a significant change from how he had been during the rest of the evening while he’d been working.

I grabbed one of the fluffy white towels and got it damp before cleaning myself up. When I looked in the mirror ahead of me, I saw Harrison standing behind me in the doorway. He had that look in his eye again, the same one I noticed before - where it looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t get it out.

“Yes?” I said.

He took a few measured steps into the room towards me, and I continued to watch him in the mirror, leaving the towel on the counter. His shirt was still hanging open, and he'd abandoned his suit jacket in the other room. I couldn't deny he looked incredibly attractive and the feeling I'd gotten when getting him off was unlike anything else I'd ever experienced, even in my line of work.

He made me hungry for something more. In a way that no other man had before.

“Would you let me… return the favour?” he asked. I kept having to ask myself if this guy was for real. _I guess there’s a first for everything?_

“You? You want to get _me_ off? Honey, I’m not the one paying, here. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I know that,” he replied, coming to a stop directly behind me and resting one hand on my bare hip. “But I am, and I _want_ to do this for you.”

“You’re unbelievable, you know?” I said, trying not to sound quite so incredulous but failing miserably.

“I guess… other men don’t offer this often?” he asked as I spun around to face him, looking up into those blue eyes which were studying me in turn.

“Try ever.” Harrison’s hand moved a little lower down my body, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“What do you say, (Y/N)?” His voice turned quiet. “Will you let me?”

I swallowed, almost at a loss for words. Except for one.

“Yes.”

He smiled at that, taking my hand and backing up out of the room and leading me towards his bed. He had me stand with my back to the bed, the back of my knees just hitting the edge.

Harrison bent down, and placed a kiss to my neck, followed by a couple more across my collarbone and shoulder. I let out a sigh that I couldn't stop, winding one arm around his shoulders and putting my hand in his hair, holding him close to me. He unclasped my bra with such mindfulness, studying me with a look that might have been wonder.

He gently lowered me to the mattress, eyeing me up still. Why was my heart racing? It never raced on the job. In fact, I hated to admit it, but I was usually robotic when it came to work. But… why did this suddenly not feel like work?

Everything about this man radiated carefulness. The way his long fingers pulled my panties down, the way they trailed up and down my skin. I didn’t think I’d ever been touched like this before.

He leant over me, still placing the occasional kiss to my chest as his fingers traced the length of me. I gasped when he pushed one of those dexterous fingers inside of me, and held onto his bicep as he began to work me thoroughly. He was a little hesitant with adding a second and I wondered, not for the first time that evening, how long it had been since he’d last been with a woman in this way.

But when his thumb started to rub my clit, all thoughts flew out of my head. I didn’t know how long it would be before I felt like this again, if ever, so I was determined to savour every moment of this.

At one point, I even mewled - yeah, that’s right. _Mewled_. Like a cat in heat. It was such a relief to be touched by a man like Harrison, and not just myself, alone in my shitty apartment, wondering how much longer my life would be this way. But he seemed to make all of that disappear in the moment.

As I started to get close to my release, I curled my fingers around Harrison's wrist, tugging him closer and holding him just where I needed.

"Oh God, Harrison..." I moaned quietly, arching my back as the tightening feeling twisted viciously within me. I was so close, and he knew it, somehow reading my body like I had his and increased the pressure to send me into a state of euphoria. We kept eye contact until I involuntarily screwed my eyes shut and tossed my head back. I cried out, riding this mind-blowing wave. I may have almost forgotten how good that could feel. Harrison waited for a few beats, looking down at me with what felt like fascination.

“How do _you_ feel, (Y/N)?”

"Amazing..." I said with a content smile, "and grateful."

I hoped that would get across to him what I wanted to say - that he was unlike any other man I'd ever been with and it made me feel _special_. He was like a breath of fresh air in the stuffiness that was my life and I wasn’t sure if I could shut him out when morning came. I let my mind wander as I watched his lips turn up when he looked at me, that maybe after this, he'd want to become one of my regulars, and then tomorrow morning wouldn't have to be goodbye.

Although that seemed an unlikely fantasy.

“I’m glad,” Harrison said, glancing from my eyes to my parted lips, and back up to my eyes again. “I’m going to, uh, shower.” It’s like he was asking for my permission. I nodded.

“Okay. Go for it.”

He left me on the king bed and gave me a quick once-over before disappearing into the bathroom. I was pretty sure this suite had a second bedroom, but I couldn’t be bothered to move after all that. Instead, I claimed this bed as my own and crawled under the sheets. I’d seen more ‘excitement’ in a night than this before, plenty of times. But for some reason, I was more tired than I’d ever been, and I let my drowsiness take me.


	4. Chapter 4

~Him~

 

I had no idea why I’d felt so compelled to do that.

I’d resisted and pushed down any and all of those kinds of feelings over the past decade to focus on my work, but with her… It had all come flying back to the surface. My only thought had been to bring her as much pleasure as she had brought me.

I put my head under the stream of warm water, washing the shampoo out of my hair and then letting the water just run over my face. I didn’t know whether standing here was helping clear my head or only making my thoughts swirl like the water currently circling the drain. Like with everything, I was trying to reason myself out of this, but I swiftly began to realize that reason didn’t seem to factor into this at all.

(Y/N) defied my reason and logic.

Soon, I decided that standing here wasn’t helping me, so I turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, grabbing one of the fresh towels and securing it around my waist. I grabbed a second to dry my hair and upper body and opened the door to re-enter the bedroom to find some pyjamas and check on (Y/N). 

I made sure I moved quietly when I saw the outline of her body lying still under the sheets in my bed. She was lying facing the bathroom door, one hand tucked under the pillow she was rested on and eyes closed in her peaceful slumber. 

I didn’t know whether I’d expected her to be awake still, but I was pleasantly surprised to see her like this, completely relaxed here. Towelling my hair dry, I headed towards the closet and found a t-shirt and bottoms to change into, but not without glancing back at the bed several times and just studying my guest as I watched her even breathing and where she shifted slightly, moving the sheets.

Part of me wanted to climb into the bed with her, but it wouldn’t quite sit right with me, not having her consent on the matter, despite the fact I knew she must have been in far more compromising positions. 

Instead, I finished drying myself off and threw the shirt over my head, pulled on my pants too and decided to get a few more bits completed for work before the sun came up. 

Sliding the doors closed behind me with one last lingering gaze, I went back into the living space wondering how I was going to give her up when it did.

 

~

 

“I have no doubt in my mind Ramon is going to fight me on this,” I told Jack over the phone as I put on my watch. The young room service servant held out the bill for me to sign. I scratched my signature onto the designated line. “He’s a stubborn and childish CEO running a multi-million dollar company.”

“That’s why I’m setting this dinner up for you,” my advisor said to me, “So you can talk shop in a public setting where neither of you would have the guts to make fools of yourselves.”

“I wouldn’t put it past us,” I mumbled.

“And would it kill you to bring a date? Ramon is just bringing his business partner so it may keep them distracted and in a better mood to have some female company at the table.”

I felt a presence behind me, and turned, only to come face to face with Beauty incarnate dressed in one of the room’s white silken robes. I stood there, staring, noticing (Y/N)’s freshly blow-dried hair after a shower. I hung up on Jack without so much as a ‘goodbye.’

“Hey, there,” she said, flopping her locks over her shoulder.

_ My God, she’s stunned me into silence. _

“You didn’t have to end your call because of me. I’ll be out of here shortly.”

“Really, there’s no hurry,” I found my voice, and gestured to the table. “I took the liberty of ordering everything on the breakfast menu. I didn’t know what you’d like…”

“Wow, thank you, Harrison. Ooh, more champagne!” (Y/N) sat down across from me cheerily and I joined her in eating a bit of each item. “Did you stay out here all night?” she asked before taking a bite her syrup-drenched lemon zest waffle. “Did you  _ work _ out here all night?”

“I did a fair bit of work, yes,” I admitted, “and I think I managed to sleep somewhere between four and seven, I imagine?”

“All you seem to do is work! You’re insane.”

“I’m afraid you’re not the first one to say so. But tell me, how did you sleep?”

“Like a  _ baby _ .” She said this as if it were a moan. “Except when I woke up this morning - I didn’t know where I was for a minute!”

“Occupational hazard?”

She laughed, but not a full one. “Yeah, something like that. Hey, so speaking of ‘occupations’, what is it you do anyway, Harrison?”

I had a mouthful of food so didn’t answer right away, giving her a moment to guess.

“Banker? Lawyer? General high and powerful guy where no one quite knows what your job actually is?”

I gave a small laugh. “More like the last one, except I do, in actuality, have things to be doing. I’m a scientist and inventor first and foremost, CEO of my company second.”

“You must be pretty smart then, eh?”   


“Something like that,” I joked while offering her a plate of hash browns. “That’s why I’m here though. Business trip.” 

She nodded as she cut up some more of her food and then, she floored me with her next question.   


“So... you have a wife waiting for you back home? Girlfriend? Bet she loves your big brains.”   


I stuttered at first, not having expected this to come up, not to mention her asking it so bluntly.   


“You’re asking me this now, after everything that happened last night?” I finally settled on saying. She shrugged.

“Hey, I’m just asking questions, and yeah, you know, guys hire me to do a job. I can't exactly afford to have a morality clause.”

I looked at her, and my brow furrowed a little. She was really in a position where she had to be the person with whom men could cheat on their partners? It took me a second to find the right words.

“No… I... um, yesterday wouldn’t have happened if I did…” I said, and she didn’t quite meet my eyes. “But I did have a wife. A long time ago… but she died,” I said, looking down at my plate.

“Harrison, I’m sorry…” (Y/N) said, reaching across the table and putting her hand over mine.

“It’s okay, I try not to dwell on it anymore,” I said, internally calling myself a liar. I dwelled on it too much - enough that I hadn’t had another proper relationship since.

She seemed to realize that this particular thread of conversation was going no further so changed the topic back to my work.

“So, you have a lot to do while you’re here, I take it? That explains the non-stop work.”

“Yes, I’m concentrated on a certain venture right now, but it’s proving difficult, to say the least.” (Y/N) leaned in close, almost conspiratorially.

“Why don’t you tell me about it?”

I waved her off.

“You wouldn’t possibly find it interesting,” I told her.

“Try me,” she said, echoing my challenge from last night.

“Okay,” I conceded, “Well, I’m attempting to buy out the company of a competitor of mine - a very juvenile, rich kid type. We both have designs for a very similar piece of tech, and that’s going to become a huge issue when we come to patent and market them. So, it’s currently a race to see who can finish first, except I don’t want to rush anything because of this, and potentially put flaws in the product. But if his product no longer existed, there would be no problem, hence the buying-him-out strategy. I buy the company, bury the other design and put my own forward for the patent.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little… excessive?” she asked. “Buying his entire company just for a single piece of tech?”

“Perhaps…” I said, with a little shrug, “but I believe that mine is the better design and this could potentially revolutionize the industry its intended for. I want everything to work as it should.”

“I guess I can understand that,” she said as we both went for the same piece of pancake. I gestured with my fork for her to take it and she smiled gratefully at me.

We finished up breakfast, and I glanced at my watch to check if I was going to be late for my meeting. Jack would undoubtedly start calling more frequently when it looked like I wouldn’t make it, so I decided to take my time with getting ready.

“I should get dressed,” I told (Y/N), putting my napkin onto my empty plate and pushing my chair back. “I have a meeting to be at soon.”

“Okay,” she said with a nod, “just say the word and I’m out of here.”

“No rush,” I reiterated my earlier sentiment, heading over to the bedroom and the closet. She followed me, and I couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on my lips when she wasn’t looking.

Entering the closet, I pulled out a black shirt and was about to slide it off the hanger when (Y/N)’s voice stopped me.

“No.” She was perched on the dresser, in front of the mirror, watching me choose what to wear. I noticed the way she was almost smirking and shook my head with a huff of laughter.

“By all means,” I told her, gesturing to the hanging clothes and she instantly hopped off of the side and began to browse through them.

She seemed to settle fairly quickly on a navy blue shirt, passing it to me to put on, while she chose my black Tom Ford suit to go with it.

A few minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror, (Y/N) beside me, admiring her choices. I fiddled with my sleeves slightly before looking at her reflection in the mirror.

“You have excellent taste.”

“I always did like fashion and art and stuff,” she replied with a shrug. “And it’s easy when you’ve got this kind of thing to work with.”

By her tone, I didn’t quite know if she meant the suit collection or myself.

She tilted her head to one side, clearly thinking about something. “You should wear a tie, I know you weren’t wearing one yesterday, but you’d look good.”

She scurried off again before I could tell her I didn’t usually wear a tie. I hadn’t even donned one for the opening of my laboratories, all those years ago. I didn’t even know why I brought some with me on trips like this anymore either.

She appeared at my elbow again with two choices, holding each up to my chest, in turn, to see what they looked like before clearly deciding on the one which was a similar colour to my shirt with slightly visible, diagonal stripes, and threw the other around her shoulders while she tied it for me.

“There. Perfect,” (Y/N) said with a broad smile, resting her hands on my chest as she met my eyes.

“Thank you.” I had to physically stop myself from leaning down to kiss her, for a variety of reasons.

We stood there for a second, staring at each other before my phone rang on the dresser, lighting up the display and reading,  _ Jack Calhorn. _

I sighed and took a step back from her.

“Excuse me, (Y/N).” I walked out to the balcony to answer the call. The moment I picked up, my advisor started talking.

“Harrison, it’s Jack. Now, just listen to me,” he started. Anything that followed ‘just listen to me’, from Jack was never a good thing. “I’m going to say it again. I don’t like you going alone to this dinner. It’s better to appear social at these kinds of things-”

I was only half-listening to Jack. Usually, I’d fight him at every mention of this topic, but I had zoned out. (Y/N) was still intently looking through my wardrobe, and I was wholeheartedly distracted.

“-So, I’ve got a handful of gorgeous and sophisticated ladies for you to choose from to bring with you tonight- Now, I know what you’re going to say, but please. It will only benefit you in the long run. Concerning business, and who knows what else down the road? Heh, you know? Harrison, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Did you hear what I said? I know a bunch of nice girls-”

“-No you don’t,” I interrupted. “Besides, I already have a date. I just want you to focus on Ramon’s weak spot. I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up, ignoring Jack’s frantically stuttered questions, and stepped back into the room. (Y/N) played with her hair in the mirror. I cleared my throat.

“(Y/N), I have a proposition for you.”

“Oh yeah?” she looked interested. “I’m all ears, baby.”

“A business proposition. Spend the week with me,” I put simply, “as my employee. My business associate.”

I saw it as the perfect opportunity. I needed a date for a few upcoming events to get Calhorn off my back, and more importantly, there was no way I could let (Y/N) go just yet.

“I don’t know…” She was skeptical, that much I could tell. And as much as it would pain me to say, I had to offer her something to make it worth her while.

“I’ll pay you for your time,” I said, trying not to sound as desperate as I felt.

She looked up at me, biting her lip a little. “We’re talking twenty-four hours a day… that’s a lot out of your pocket…”

_ I’d pay anything _ , I thought, but settled instead on saying: “Give me a ballpark figure.”

She looked away, and I could tell she was trying to calculate how much that amount of time would be worth to her. When she looked me in the eye again, she appeared a little hesitant, although she had no reason to be.

“Seven-thousand dollars,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

Like yesterday, I didn’t even have to think about it.  _ Anything _ to keep her here a little longer. 

“It’s a deal,” I agreed, and I marvelled at the expression that instantly appeared on her face. 

“Holy shit!” she cried and immediately started to laugh, covering her mouth with her hands.

“Is that a yes?” For a second I wondered if it was too good to be true and had to clarify her answer.

“That’s a hell yes!” she exclaimed, turning back to me and looking as though I’d just given her the entire world. Her ecstatic smile was contagious, and I started to grin at her enthusiasm.

“Wonderful,” I said, as my phone began to ring yet again. I ignored it but knew that it meant that I should leave. “I have to go else my advisor is going to have my guts.” 

I took out my wallet and counted out what I considered to be enough money for what I needed her to get. I then passed it to her in two piles.

“This is the five-hundred for last night, so you know I’m serious-” She gave me a look which said, _I never doubted it_ , and then I passed her the second set of bills. “-and this is for clothes. We have a dinner to attend tonight, so I need you to buy something to wear.”

“What kind of something?” she asked, possibly a little overwhelmed, which was understandable.

“Classy, elegant. It’s an exclusive restaurant, so you’ll need to look the part,” I clarified, grabbing my briefcase and papers off of the desk, then headed towards the door.

“I can do that,” she said, standing up tall as I scribbled my number on a piece of paper and passed it to her.

“This is my number if you need me. Do you have any other questions now?” I asked.

“Can I call you Harry?” she asked me playfully. In truth, I didn’t normally like it when people attempted calling me by the nickname, but there was something about the way it rolled off her tongue that made it my favourite thing in the world. I opened the door to leave, then stopped and turned to her.

“Yes, but I’ll only give you the privilege of doing so.”

“You know, it’s things like that… I’d have stayed for less,” she admitted, playing with her hair and biting her lip.

“I’d have paid more,” I confessed, still in the doorway, every second staring at her making me less willing to move.

“Oh, Harry, I’m going to treat you so nice, you’re never going to want to let me go.”

_ I already don’t. _

“I’ll see you tonight,” I merely said, closing the door and heading to the elevator.

_ I’m in trouble. _


	5. Chapter 5

 

~Her~

 

_ Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! _

I waited until I heard the elevator ding out in the hall before I started to freak out all throughout the penthouse. Running at full speed, I jumped and threw myself onto the bed and screamed into the plush pillow.

“Seven thousand dollars?!”

I didn’t think I’d had that much money in my bank account,  _ ever. _ All that money was coming my way,  _ and _ I got to spend time with a guy who’s  _ nice _ and totally not gross? When did I fall down this rabbit hole?

I had to call Laurie.

My phone was dead, so I had to use the hotel phone by the bed. I hastily dialled her number and had to sit through the never-ending rings until she finally picked up.

“Yeah?” she answered.

“Laurie, it’s (Y/N)-”

“-You’re lucky I answered! I don’t pick up for unknown callers, but dude, I was so worried about you! Do you know what time of day it is? Where are you? I thought you were dead on the street!”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I reassured her. “But guess what? You know  _ the guy _ ? The Jag? I am in his hotel room uptown! The  _ penthouse _ , Laurie!”

“What!? You’re kidding me!?”

“I know, it’s insane, right? But it’s true! He wants me to stay the whole week with him, and do you know how much he’s going to give me? Guess! No, I’ll tell you! Seven thousand dollars!” There was silence on the other end for a second, and I thought maybe the line had cut out. “Laurie? Laurie, are you still there?”

“I'm sorry, I'm trying to envision what we can buy with that kind of crazy money!”

“We? I think you'll find this is  _ my _ money. You still owe me!” I shot back incredulously. 

“Hey, I pointed him out for you, I deserve  _ something  _ for that!” she said, and I let out a laugh.

“You think, huh? Do you want to come here and work for it?” I asked her and then right away began to backtrack. “Actually, no, I don’t have any interest in sharing…”

“ _ That _ good? Yeah, no, I can’t believe that. Tell me, what’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing,” I said, absentmindedly twirling a strand of my hair around my finger, “he’s… so  _ different _ .”

“Different like ‘experimental and kinky’ different?”

“No!” I denied, “No, he’s, you know,  _ nice _ . Kind. We don’t get to see that a lot.”

Laurie didn’t comment on that. “Has he given you the money yet?”

“No, not yet. End of the week,” I told her.

“Well then, there you go, he’s just going to use you and then-”

“He isn’t like that,” I insisted. “He gave me five-hundred for last night as a sort of down-payment and extra money to buy clothes. Now, I’m going to leave some at the front desk for you to come get and you’re going to  _ pay the water bill _ , not buy more expensive stuff, okay?”

“ _ Okay _ ,” she drew out reluctantly. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the Plaza Hotel uptown, make sure you write that down.”

“Yes, okay,  _ mother _ ,” she said, and I heard the rustling of paper in the background, so I knew she was doing what I asked. “Keep me updated during the week, okay?”

“Sure,” I said, “see you soon, Laurie.”

“Have fun with your  _ nice  _ and ridiculously rich man!”

“I will,” I responded, unable to keep the grin off of my face, “bye.”

Laurie said goodbye to me, and I hung up the phone, leaning back and just smiling at the ceiling. But then I remembered my task for today, and if possible, my smile grew even bigger.

Jumping off of the bed, I began to collect my dress and underwear from where they still lay on the floor and ran towards the bathroom to get changed. 

I had shopping to do.

 

~

 

People watched me strut my way into Star City’s prime shopping district because, apparently,  _ I  _ was now the one who didn’t belong in this part of town. I supposed my dress from last night I still wore didn’t help my situation. But that didn’t matter. Today was a new day, I had a wad of cash on me to spend, and I was on a mission.

I saw so many designer names in the windows it made my head spin. I wondered what dress Harry might like…

Something caught my eye in one of the shops - an elegant silver dress. This could be exactly the kind of thing I needed for tonight.

Entering the store, I went straight for the dress in the window, and ran my fingers down the fabric. It was nothing less than dazzling.

“Excuse me,” I said to one of the saleswomen who seemed to keep her eyes on me, “how much is this dress?”

“I don’t think this one would fit you,” the woman said bluntly. I almost made a noise out of shock.

“I didn’t ask if it would fit me,” I clarified, feeling my temper rise, “I asked  _ how much _ it was.”

“How much is it, Deirdre?” she asked her co-worker, who had shown up beside her.

“It’s  _ very _ expensive,” the other woman said, “I don’t think you could afford it.”

“Look, I  _ have _ money and I-”

“I don’t think we carry the kind of clothing you’re accustomed to. You’re obviously in the wrong store. We’ll have to ask you to leave, please.”

I didn’t dare let my mouth drop, but I did, however, give them my best angry frown. These two didn’t deserve my famous tongue-lashing. I turned and huffed out of the shop, making sure I was out of sight before letting myself feel how dejected I really was. What was the point? If they behaved like that to me in there, there was no way I’d have any success elsewhere. I was shit out of luck, and now I had to think of how to explain this to Harry. I had no dress to impress anyone with, and probably wouldn’t be able to go to the dinner meeting with him.

I returned to the hotel discouraged, and just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, a tall man stopped me at the elevators.

“Miss, may I help you?”

“I’m going to my room,” I told him. “Penthouse.”

“So, you’re a guest here?” he pressed.

“I’m… here with a friend.”  _ Where was this going? _

“May I ask the name of your friend?”

“Harrison.”  _ Damn it, of course I didn’t get his last name. _

“ _ The  _ Doctor Harrison Wells, I presume?”

“Yup.”

“Please come with me,” the man ushered me into a room off the lobby and offered me a seat.

“What’s your name, Miss?” he asked me.  _ Why so many questions? _

“What do you want it to be?” I replied with some attitude. Honestly, the phrase was a reflex for me. I couldn’t help it. He didn’t seem to find it funny in the slightest and shot me a death glare, so I gave him my name.

“Joe West, Hotel Manager,” he introduced himself, “And I must inform you that certain things that go on in other hotels  _ don’t _ happen here at the Plaza. I’m sure you understand?”

I nodded.

“Harrison Wells is a frequent and special patron of ours, although we like to think of him more as a friend at this establishment. With our  _ friends, _ we overlook the rule of having to sign in additional guests as we would regular patrons, which is what I am doing in this case. So I will ask, for posterity, who are you in relation to Doctor Wells, (Y/N)? Would you be his…  _ niece _ ?” he offered as if helping me create a lie to tell.

“Yes, that’s me,” I agreed to the lie, “I’m his niece, alright.”

“Of course, Miss (Y/L/N). Then I assume when Doctor Wells ends his stay with us, we won’t see you in this hotel again? I assume you have no other  _ uncles _ here?”

_ Jesus Christ.  _ I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“Great, we understand each other. And finally, we have a higher calibre dress code here at the Plaza, and it would be encouraging if you would dress appropriately while staying with us.”

“I  _ tried _ to go shopping today,” I attempted to explain, “but no one would help me!” I showed him the cash that Harry left me this morning, “Harry- my ‘ _ uncle _ ’ left me all of this to buy a dress, and it’s been burning a hole in my pocket, but I got treated like shit-! Sorry. Like dirt. But it’s extremely important, and nobody will help me. Please. I. Need. A. Dress.”

Joe picked up his work phone and I got antsy, putting the cash away in my jacket pocket.

“Oh great, yeah, call the cops!” I taunted, preparing to be dragged out of this place and never see my jackpot again. “But I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything wro-”

“Yes, good afternoon, may I speak with Betsy in Women’s Clothing, please,” Joe said. “Great, thank you.”

I couldn’t stand the pause in the room, so I just stared at the ground. But when Joe started talking again to this Betsy chick, the plans he made with her on the phone in my favour made my optimism return. Maybe the guy wasn’t a total jerk.

And maybe I’d get the perfect dress to knock Harry’s socks off after all.

 

~

 

I laughed the entire way back up to the hotel room after my shopping spree two-point-oh. I wished Laurie was there to have seen those snooty women’s faces! I looked like freaking royalty when I returned to their stupid shop in my new costly makeover and gave them the lowdown - that they missed their big opportunity to have my business. Nobody should treat anyone how I had been in there. You never know who might waltz into your store, up to their neck in cash, and want to spend it.

I hope they learned their lesson.

The second I set down my shopping bags in the room, the phone rang on the desk. I scurried over and answered, trying out a new voice I called ‘fancy lady’.

“Hellooo?”

“(Y/N)?”

“Harry?”

“Never, ever pick up the phone,” he told me sternly.

“Then why did you call me?” I countered.

“Did you buy some things today?”

“I got a dress!”

“Tremendous. I’m just finishing up my meeting, and I’ll come by to pick you up afterwards. Meet me in the lobby at seven, alright?”

“Lobby. Seven,” I confirmed, smiling down the phone. “You’re not going to pick me up at my door then?” I joked.

“I think you’ll find it’s  _ my _ door, and this is a business meeting, not a date,” he told me, but the way he spoke told me that he was smiling as well. “I’ll see you later.”

“See you later,” I echoed before putting the phone down and starting to sort through my shopping bags for everything I needed to get ready for tonight.

But the phone rang again a minute later, and without thinking, I picked up.

“Hellooo?”

“What did I tell you about picking up?”

“Then stop  _ calling  _ me!” I replied, letting out a giggle as I did. He chuckled too.

I hung up the phone on Harry and collected all of my bags, heading into the bedroom before standing in front of the mirror and holding my new dress up to myself. 

Date or not, I was still determined to leave him speechless.


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

**~Him~**

I was late. Of course, I’d never admit that out loud, but it was still a fact.

I marched into the Plaza’s lobby returning from my meeting while scouring the place for (Y/N). I couldn’t find her.  _Was she still getting ready? Or had she left?_

Someone walked up next to me, and I recognized the man to be Joe West, the manager of the Plaza. He always made sure my stay was to my liking and had always been a great help.

“Doctor Wells, hello,” he greeted me, “I have a message for you.”

"I have somewhere I need to be, so if you could leave it-"

"It's from your  _niece_ ," he clarified, and I looked at him for a second, wholly lost (as I was an only child), before I realized what he was getting at. (Y/N). I  _had_  brought an escort into a five-star establishment. I should have seen this coming.

"I think we both know she's not my niece," I replied, looking West in the eye.

“Yes, sir.”

“What’s the message, then?”

“She’s waiting for you in the lounge,” he said, indicating with his head in the direction I needed to go.

“Thank you.”

Before I took my leave, West remarked, “She’s an intriguing woman.” I stopped, and damn it if I didn’t smile in front of the other man as I thought about how true it was.

“I’m well aware.”

I walked across to the lounge, scanning the face of everyone I could see in order to locate her, but it seemed to be pointless. I did a full circuit of the room and then one on the spot but to no avail.

Had West been mistaken? Had my tardiness left her disheartened enough to leave?

I did another slow turn, and this time, when I looked over my shoulder, I saw her. She sat at the bar, her back to me initially, but now she'd turned around and was smiling softly at me.

In one word, she was a vision.

The dress she bought today… I didn’t even know how to express myself adequately. (Y/N) had stolen my breath with the way she looked tonight. It was a black (a woman after my own heart) cocktail dress which came down almost to her knee and had short lace sleeves. The small jewelled embellishments glittered in the light of the lounge.

I gaped as she gracefully stood from her seat, and watched as she approached me. I'm not sure I could explain the emotions currently coursing through me as my eyes roamed over every inch of her.

It was a transformation, but only in the sense of what my money had done for her. She was beautiful, I'd thought so since the moment we'd met, but only now could you see how she shone.

When she reached me, she carefully straightened my tie and then met my gaze.

"You're late," she said, attempting to sound chastising.

"You're stunning."

I immediately saw the smile begin to grace her features. "You're forgiven,” she said, giggling, and I saw the slight colour that rose in her cheeks.

“Shall we go to dinner?” I held out my arm for her, which she took, and led her to the car I had arranged to take us to the restaurant a few blocks away.

When we entered the restaurant, I saw her wringing her hands in front of her. It was the way I felt inside, though I kept an impenetrable front otherwise.

“Stop fidgeting, there’s nothing for you to worry about,” I assured her.

The hostess showed us to the table where Ramon, and his associate Allen, were already seated. They stood up when we arrived, and it was impossible to miss the look of shock on their faces as I walked up with (Y/N) beside me. Whether it be from her beauty alone or the fact that this woman was with me, I couldn’t be sure, but for the sake of things, I assumed it to be the former.

“Mr. Ramon,” I said, and shook the man’s hand even though that was the last thing I wanted to do. I turned to his associate. “Mr. Allen.”

“Doctor Wells,” the long-haired man-child acknowledged, then looked to (Y/N), “and who’s your delightful companion?”

“This is a friend of mine, (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” she said, oozing charm. I pulled her seat out for her before we all took our own. There were so many variables that could go wrong tonight, and I was afraid I hadn’t anticipated them all, but having her here with me seemed to help notably. She sent me a small sideways smile as the waiter brought over the wine menu, followed by the ones for food.

I noticed that (Y/N) looked a little overwhelmed by the choices and so I helped by pointing out a couple of good options that I’d had here before. She seemed grateful for the assistance.

“I assume you’ve come here tonight to try and convince me that letting you buy my company is my only way out of this mess?” Ramon started as he perused the menu, not looking up at me. I hoped he would choose a good wine so that I could at least enjoy something about this meal.

“If you’d agreed to drop the design for the Trans-Dimensional Telecator when I’d first brought it up, there wouldn’t be a mess for you to get out of,” I countered, linking my fingers together in front of me, over my menu.

“You’re just afraid of the competition,” he said before ordering an expensive red.  _At least he can get something right._

“I didn’t think it was in either of our best interests to go toe to toe on that one, and as the more experienced, I thought that it made more sense for me to take the lead,” I told him. “I appreciate that your little company is attempting to branch out-”

“ _Little_  company?” Allen spoke up for the first time, as the waiter poured the wine into the glasses. “Our company may only have been around half as long as S.T.A.R. Labs, but our profits are only a couple of hundred-thousand down on yours. This sounds as though it’s more about your ego, Doctor Wells, and how you feel threatened by Cisco’s quick success.”

“ _My_  ego?” I said, raising my voice slightly, “What about him and his-”

“Boys,” (Y/N) said, taking a delicate sip of her wine as all three of us looked to her, “perhaps we should keep our voices down?”

We all looked a little sheepish at that, and I glanced around to check that no one else in the restaurant was disturbed by our argument. But with her interjection, Ramon seemed to take more of an interest in (Y/N) than me and turned directly to face her.

“And what do you think to your…  _friend’s_  business?” he asked, glancing from her to me, and I knew he was trying to see if there was something more to our relationship than I’d let on.

“Oh, no,” she said, giving him one of those charming smiles that made me go weak at the knees. “I’m strictly here for  _pleasure_ , not business.”

I had inadvertently thrown myself into a coughing fit at her comment. She sent another knowing look my way with a little smirk, and I had to look away. Hopefully neither Ramon nor Allen had seen it, and if they had, they wouldn’t have the balls to comment. I had an image to maintain after all.

“Mr. Ramon, I assure you that this would go a lot smoother if we were on the same page,” I said, recovering and trying to get back to the matter at hand. The man looked back at me, and I could see the contempt return in his eyes.

“I can assure  _you_ , Wells, that that isn’t going to happen. Leave my company alone,” the man-bun wearing, self-proclaimed ‘tech guru’ told me as he tried to sound menacing.

“I can’t do that.”

But before we could start to get into it again, the plates of food were brought over to us and, quite frankly, I welcomed the distraction.

I watched (Y/N)’s reaction as her meal was placed in front of her. Her face scrunched up in confusion, head pulling back a tad as if to see more clearly what it was that sat on her plate. It might have been the most amusing and adorable thing I’d seen since meeting her.

“You’ll like it, I promise,” I whispered to her, smiling encouragingly at her.

“It looks like something straight out of Dagobah.”

Ramon’s head shot up and looked at me, then to (Y/N), puzzled.

“What did you say?” he asked her.

“I said it looks like it’s from Dagobah. You know, the swamp in Star Wars Episode-”

“-Five - Empire Strikes Back.”

"Try not. Do, or do not,” she started to quote.

“There is no try," Ramon finished.

I locked eyes with Allen. “What is happening?” I asked him. (Y/N) laughed and took a bite of her meal. She seemed pleasantly surprised.

As did Allen and Ramon.

 

* * *

 

The night may have ended smoothly, and without me chopping off Ramon’s hair, but the issue of the takeover still hung in the air. I knew I’d be waiting indefinitely for my phone to ring until I heard from either Ramon or Jack.

“You didn’t say much on the ride home,” (Y/N) said once we’d returned to the suite. “Still thinking about the meeting? I thought I handled myself pretty well back there! At first, I thought I was going to blow it!”

She followed me out to the balcony, filling the silence I’d been creating with anything that crossed her mind.

“That Cisco was actually a pretty cool guy,” she went on to admit, and perched herself on the balcony’s ledge, “I had fun chatting with him.” I made a face at Ramon’s name. “Oh, don’t even with that face,” she called me out, “See, underneath it all, I think you like Mr. Ramon. I think you think he reminds you of  _you_.”

Part of me wanted to protest the absurdity, but I knew she was more than likely right, even if I wasn’t fully aware of it myself.

“What I’d  _like_  is for you not to be so close to the ledge, please.” I didn’t expect her to listen, but she hopped down and moved closer to me instead.

“And if that’s true,” she continued, clearly seeing my lack of response on her comment as an admission, “then, I can’t understand what you’re doing here. If you have similar ideas for something, why not see whether you can combine them? Work on it together?”

“I don’t think so,” I scoffed, but there wasn’t as much disdain behind my words as I expected. “Besides, it’s irrelevant even if I was fond of Ramon because I refuse to let myself get emotionally involved in this business.” It was always easier to not care about the people I had to deal with, and instead, think of them as pawns in a game of chess, but I kept that thought to myself.

“I can relate. Since day one, Laurie’s always saying to me, ‘don’t get emotional when you turn tricks’,” she confessed. “Hence the no kissing on the mouth rule. It’s too personal. So I took her word for it. I’m essentially robotic when it comes to the job.”

She stopped there, and her words made my heart ache. I thought I had remedied that issue long ago. I never thought I’d have to feel that torture again. This was the reason I didn’t open up anymore. How could I be so foolish to believe - to hope, even - that something real could develop between us? I was paying her to be my companion. There was nothing  _real_  about that.

“But not with-”

“-You and I are so astoundingly similar…” I said while looking at my shoes.  _But if that were the case then why had she been able to remain seemingly impassive in this while I was battling with feelings I’d rather repress?_  I felt like I was losing myself.

“Hey,” she said, trying to get me to look at her, once again instinctively knowing something was wrong with me. “Why don’t we go inside and relax? We can stay up all night and watch the movie channel? How does that sound?” (Y/N) smiled as she put an arm around me, and the small action alone was too much. I needed out. I needed to think.

“Maybe another night,” I said, getting up, “I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?”

I walked away without answering and tried my damnedest not to look back.


	7. Chapter 7

 

**~Her~**

  
Harry had been gone for hours, and I was starting to feel restless. There was only so much you could do in a penthouse suite before you exhausted every option of entertainment.

And I was a little worried about him. He’d disappeared so suddenly earlier, and I knew something was off.

So I decided to look for him.

I shrugged on my hotel robe (which I swore I would take home with me at the end of the week) and heard the special contents of the pockets crinkle. It was a force of habit for me by this point, carrying around protection.

Harry hadn’t told me where he’d intended on going and I wasn’t sure whether it was because he didn’t want to be found or whether he hadn’t known himself at that point. I imagined maybe he was at the bar or somewhere down in the lobby, but I didn’t want to go searching for him in my new nightdress which I’d bought earlier, so I picked up the phone on his desk and called down to reception to see if they knew where he’d gone. The woman informed me that his key card had been used to access the roof a while ago and he hadn’t left. I thanked her and grabbed the spare key near the door and left the suite, heading in the direction of the roof as well.

I wasn’t sure if my presence would help in any way, but I had to try something.

Once in the elevator, I pushed the very top button - one higher than the floor we were already on - which indicated it would take me to the rooftop’s ‘Executive Pool.’

I managed to find it no problem, and it was almost completely deserted, save for the one man swimming the length of the luxurious pool. Not that I’d expected anyone else, but the dark hair bobbing in the water told me that I’d found my missing man. I took a few slow steps forwards towards the edge of the pool, the water glistening in the lights scattered around the edge of the roof and running around the interior of the pool wall. 

Harry swam away from me, so I took the opportunity to sit down on the edge, directly in his path so that he’d spot me when he swam back up. I made sure that my robe splayed out behind me where I sat so that it didn’t get wet, the ribbon still tied around my waist, and I slid my legs into the water, finding it surprisingly warm. 

He touched off at the other end and started his way back in my direction, arms diving precisely into the water with each stroke. And with the closer he got, the better I was able to see how impressive and strong they looked. I found my heart sped up a bit as he swam even closer to where I waited for him.

When he reached me, he touched the wall on either side of me, slowly putting his feet on the floor and standing to his full height in front of me. The drops of water cascaded down his muscular torso and I saw his biceps flex in the low light as he smoothed his wet hair back from his face. He looked gorgeous, and I swallowed quickly.

“I was getting lonely downstairs all by myself,” I said, kicking my feet back and forth slowly in the water, not really sure what else to say.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking away and placing his hands on the edge on both sides of me, boxing me in. His apology surprised me. Why should he apologize? It wasn’t like he was meant to be entertaining  _me_. “I just needed time to think.”

It was when he met my eyes, at last, that I felt something strange. I didn’t know what it was, but it spiked yet again when his hands deftly undid my robe, pulling the white fabric away from my body, and went to rest on my waist over my nightdress. The way he held me, it was searching, desperate even. It was like he was touching me for the first time again. Gently, he brought his head down to rest against my middle, his wet hair making my clothes slightly damp, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. 

I cautiously brought a hand up and wound my fingers into his curls, combing through them.

“Harry… Harrison,” I said quietly. There was something the matter with him, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it could be. There was no way it could be just about the meeting today.

Harry stood up straighter at the sound of his name. Somehow he had gotten even closer now, and he did that thing he does where, for a split second, his eyes flick to my lips. His hands left my waist, coming up to brush my hair back from my face, settling on my cheek, as he stared at me with a kind of fascination, just like last night. I lost my breath when Harry leaned in a touch closer - he was going to kiss me.

For the briefest moment, I thought I was going to let him do it, but before he got close enough, I leaned back from him, turning my face away slightly. He went to try again, but I avoided his lips, and instead pressed a kiss to the wet skin on his neck to try and distract him.

I wanted to, I did. He was the first man who’d made me even  _contemplate_  the idea, but it was a rule for a reason. I couldn’t break it and still expect to walk away from this…

I think the distraction worked because Harry’s hands were wandering all over me, and I could tell he needed this. Whatever was bothering him, I could help him take his mind off of it. I knew I could. It’s one of the many reasons men hired me.

I cherished the way he caressed my body and reclined back to lie flat. The cool floor was a contrast to how hot I suddenly felt under Harry’s touch. He ran one large hand from my neck all the way down my body over the black silk in an exploratory way. With the same feeling, he then began to push the bottom of the article up, kissing every inch of my stomach as he uncovered it. I didn’t know why I felt so desperate. It was without a doubt a first, but I reached into my robe and scrambled for the condom packet in the front pocket and sat up again to show Harry, who looked nothing short of breathless.

“Let’s both stop thinking,” I said. He nodded, swiftly tugging my panties off and leaving them next to me on the tiled floor before taking the packet from me. I watched, breath quickening with each passing second as he pushed his swimming trunks over his hips and began to roll the condom down his length.

I watched him perform this with more interest than I ever had previously. I held onto his broad shoulders, water droplets trickling down his skin still.

He whispered, “We don’t have to.”

“Always the gentleman…” I hummed with a breath of laughter, brushing one of his curls back from his forehead. “I know you don’t expect it, but I want to… Let me help…”

I brought one hand down to reach in between us to grasp his cock, and slid a little closer to the edge of the pool wall. He was hard, immensely so, and I couldn’t wait to see how he’d feel inside of me.

I nuzzled my face into his neck, planting a few open-mouthed kisses there as I stroked him slowly, and guided him closer to my entrance. He gave a small, low moan as his tip slicked up against my folds. The anticipation was killing me.

His hands held my hips again as he carefully pushed his way inside me. I tipped my head back, looking up at the twinkling stars above as I felt every inch of him enter me at this steady pace.

I let out a shaky breath, while Harry made a quiet groan in my ear. The pads of my fingers pressed more firmly into his back. He kissed the spot under my ear that would never fail to drive me crazy. I hadn’t been kissed there in so long…

I could barely remember a time when I’d felt this way. In fact, I was almost positive I’d never experienced a feeling like this before. As soon as Harry buried himself in my heat, I knew I didn’t ever want to leave this rooftop; I wanted to savour this moment forever.

I wrapped my legs around his middle, pulling him as close as I could as he began to move, thrusting into me, still cautious, as though he was scared I would break if he did anything else.

“More,” I whined, “More, Harrison, please.”

 _Since when had this become him giving me what I wanted?_ I asked myself rhetorically. But it didn’t matter because the second Harry met my eyes again, he knew I wasn’t playing around. He knew I really did need this, just as I was pretty sure he needed it as much as me.

Harry thrusted deeper this next time, slightly harder, too.

“Yes,” I moaned in a higher tone than normal, “like that.”

He sent me into a sort of daze as he continued at this pace, following my affirmative noises. He held me close to his chest, the water on his skin doing little to help cool me down.

I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to hold on because he made me feel like I was doing this for the first time again.

“You’re so beautiful, amazing,” he breathed, making sure I saw the words leave his mouth. I bit my lip at my impending release. I was right there on the edge, in both senses of the word, my breathing erratic.

Harry sloppily kissed up my neck to under my ear again, and that sent me over the edge. My nails dug into his back as my own arched, pressing myself even closer against his chest. I threw my head back, moaning into the night as Harry worked me through my orgasm.

I couldn’t remember the last guy who had let me come before he had, but as I repeatedly reminded myself, Harry was unlike any other man.

When he finally came too, Harry’s eyes shut tight, but not before I noticed how they looked - as if he’d found the meaning of life. Yeah, I could have misread that, and maybe it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but I could have sworn…

He exhaled a long breath and dropped his forehead to my shoulder for a moment. Then he pulled out from me and somehow I missed his presence already. I got up and pulled my robe tight around me again while Harry dealt with the now filled condom. He tossed it after he walked up the pool steps. I came up behind him and took his hand.

“Will you come back down with me?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied, squeezing my hand slightly as he grabbed a towel from one of the chairs which sat near the entrance to the roof. He threw it around his shoulders and wiped his face with it before looking back down at me. “Thank you…” he said faintly.

“You don’t need to thank me…” I told him. I left ‘that’s what you’re paying me for’ out of my answer.

I didn’t want to taint anything that we’d just done together with talk of our business agreement.


	8. Chapter 8

 

 

**~Him~**

 

Something had shifted between us last night. Something words can’t even describe - but the result of this unspoken shift with (Y/N) was the two of us sharing a bed.

And maybe a few other passionate moments.

(Y/N) was still lying in bed when I was ready to leave the next morning. She'd been watching me hurry around the penthouse, and truthfully, I had a lot still on my mind. I knew we still had at least one other event to attend this week and she was going to need more clothes to wear.

Pulling out my wallet, I slid one of the cards out of it and passed it over to her.

“Take this,” I told her as she shifted under the sheets, “and if you have any issues when charging it, call the hotel, alright?” (Y/N) took the card from me and frowned at it.

“Ugh, more shopping.” She looked disgusted by the idea.

"What? I thought you'd be happy. You bought a lovely dress last time," I said, frowning at her as she tried burying her face in the sheets. "(Y/N)?"

Poking her head back out slightly, she looked up at me. "It didn't turn out to be that much fun... The staff in the shops were mean to me..."

" _Mean_ to you?" She gave a little nod, and the subtle pout on her lips made me want to deal with the people who made her feel so poorly. “Well, we can’t have that. _I_ can’t have that.” I took out my phone on the spot and called Jack and told him to push today’s meeting back.

“Why did you do that?” (Y/N) asked me.

“Because,” I said, “I’m taking you to the best shops in this city personally, we’re going to torment the sale staff, and buy you whatever your heart desires. I want you to enjoy yourself.”

"Really?" she said, the hope in her voice was unmistakable.

"Really."

Her saddened expression lifted at once and was replaced with a huge grin. "Oh, Harry, thank you," she said, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

For a second, I didn't quite know how to react, but I then hugged her back, relishing in the fact that I'd been able to make her happy.

"You're welcome. Now, come on, get dressed, and we'll get going."

 

* * *

 

“Harry, they’re all looking at me again! Like last time.”

I held her hand on our way to the first shop. My mission for today was clear: make her feel comfortable.

“They’re not looking at you. They’re looking at me,” I said, trying to extinguish her anxiety, “I’m a good-looking, world-renowned genius with piles of money. That’s what happens when you go out with me.”

She laughed at that but held my hand a little tighter all the same. We entered our first shop, a large department store which I knew would have a wide selection of different clothes, shoes and accessories for her to choose from.

She looked around in awe as soon as we walked in, and I delighted at her renewed enthusiasm.

I wasn't going to let anything ruin this trip for her. Namely, the department store workers already zoning in on her feeling up the fabric of the clothing.

“Pardon me, Miss, may I help you?” Her body visibly froze when one of the sales clerks went up to her. _I better get in there._

“Harrison Wells,” I butted in with a firm handshake. “Tell me, do you have anything in this store as beautiful as my lovely lady, here?” (Y/N) grinned at me and inched a bit closer to where I stood.

“Oh yes, of course,” the clerk said. _Here we go._ All I had to do was raise an eyebrow at him to watch the guy fall apart. “I mean, no!” he backtracked. “That’s not what I meant. What I meant to say was that we have a collection of styles as beautiful as she would want them to be!”

"Perfect," I said. "Now, she gets whatever she wants, and I don't care about the cost."

Those were magic words in this kind of place. The clerk promptly called over several other people and began assigning them different items to go and fetch for (Y/N) to look at and try on. Her smile was so big, I couldn't help but mirror it when she looked at me, and I placed my hand on her back and guided her to a seated area, where the staff members were depositing all the items.

The original salesman came up to me and said, “Sir, when you said you don’t care about the cost-?” I held out my credit card without looking at the man.

“I meant it. Anything. Do it. _Now_.”

“Yes, sir, right away, sir.” He reached for my card, but I pulled it back.

“And another thing,” I said, “I want you to suck up to her so well that she feels like a goddamned princess, understand?”

“Crystal clear, sir.” I let him take the piece of plastic, only to have my phone ring in my pocket not five seconds later.

(Y/N) was already busily examining a bright, floral dress with one of the clerks, so I turned, taking out my phone and answering the call from Jack.

"Yes?" I answered curtly. I really didn't want to have to leave when I'd promised (Y/N) that I'd be here with her.

"Harrison - I didn't know whether you were even going to pick up," Jack said on the other end. "I need you here. There's been a change in the situation with Ramon. We have to rethink our options  _now_. It can't wait."

“What, is it good news?”

“Good and bad. The good news is that Ramon has considered letting you buy him out.”

“You’re serious-?”

“-The bad news is he’s upped the price considerably. We need you down here at the offices, pronto.” This was huge. I almost couldn’t believe it. I needed to figure out a solution, but could I leave (Y/N)? I looked over to her, surrounded by a handful of flattering employees, and knew she was in good hands now.

“Just hold on, I’ll be down as soon as possible.”

I hung up and went over to where she sat, now trying on several pairs of heels in an array of colours and styles (all of which looked wonderful on her).

"Hey, (Y/N), there's been a development with my deal, and I have to go," I told her. She looked a little disheartened but nodded her head in acknowledgement. "You carry on shopping, and I'll see you back at the hotel later."

"Okay," she said, "thank you for all this."

"You don't need to thank me," I replied, echoing her words from last night. She waved goodbye, and I gave her a reassuring smile before I turned to leave, now donning a fully determined one.

I felt like if I’d come this far with Ramon, I could reason with him to bring the price down. Sure, the word ‘compromise’ made me cringe, but I was so close to my goal that I could grin and bear it if need be. I had worked on this deal for the better part of a year now, and finally, I could see the faintest light.

 

* * *

 

I rode up in the elevator, proud and excited, and found myself dying to share the news about my deal (no matter how small) with (Y/N). She was all I had.

Reaching the top floor, I walked down the corridor and unlocked my door, eager to start telling her all about my day. But when I entered the suite, whatever I was going to say died on my tongue.

She was lounging on the couch which faced the door, completely naked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger and fluttering her eyelashes at me.

I opened my mouth to say something but couldn't find any words.

"Hey, honey, how was your day?" The tone of her voice sent a shiver through me. She wore one of my black ties around her neck. It fell between her breasts, and I had to mentally scold myself to stop looking. But then again, she wouldn’t have tried to seduce me like this if she hadn’t wanted me to look…

“That’s my tie,” I said lamely.

“It is,” she answered, opening her legs a bit wider, “would you like it back?”

“N-no, that’s fine.” I was a pathetic excuse for a man right now. She stood up at that and slinked her way over to me. My heart pounded relentlessly.

“Are you sure?”

"No."

I wasn't sure of anything right now except that she was exquisite and that I was already hard. I didn't even know if I could move at that point, so my eyes just ran up and down her body a couple of times, and I think I might have licked my lips.

I watched her smirk before starting to chew on her bottom lip. When she stood directly before me, she briskly pushed my suit jacket off of my shoulders, chucking it on a nearby chair. All I could do was follow her lead.

(Y/N) pulled me by my shirt collar back towards the couch and made me sit. She stared down at me while removing the tie and holding tightly at both ends, showing it to me.

“Give me your wrists, Harry.”

I held them out - more than willingly - and she began to tie an expert knot around them.

"Alright?" she asked when she'd finished.

"Perfectly," I replied, though I knew not touching her might drive me utterly crazy in the state I was already in.

She just smiled, pushing my arms above my head and into the couch cushion. Still holding one of my wrists with her hand, she straddled me and then, apparently trusting me to stay put now, ran her hand all the way down my arm over my shirt, feeling out every curve of muscle with her fingertips.

She moved her hips against me so slowly it drew a small and deep animal noise from me.

“You like that?” she asked, knowing full well I did. I tried to adjust my hands, but she made a move to have them pressed into the back of the couch firmly.

(Y/N) made a disapproving sound and grinded harder. “Nu-uh, Doctor Wells, you don’t get to do a thing tonight. Just take what I give you.”

_Happily._

She seemed to know exactly what to do to get me to make the noises she wanted to hear. I was very soon full on panting and _dying_ to be inside her again.

Her own sounds, breathless moans and satisfied mewls, were only adding to my desperation, and also had the effect of drawing my attention to her wonderful mouth. I didn't try anything like I had last night, because if that had any chance of _ever_ happening, I knew I had to let her come to me.

But damn everything if I didn't want it more than anything else in this world.

(Y/N)’s hands undid my belt and dress pants, tugging them down enough so that she could expose the part of me that begged for her assistance. She took me in her hand, and gave a few satisfying strokes, a bead of moisture already escaping onto her fingers.

"(Y/N), p-please," I stuttered as she slowed to a stop.

"Hmm? What do you want, Harry?" she asked teasingly, kissing up my neck and along my jaw. "You have to speak up..."

I let out a grunt as she tightened her grip.

"I need to be inside you," I said breathlessly.

“Yeah?” Reaching across to the table beside the couch, she grabbed a strategically placed condom packet.

“ _Yes_.”

“Good.” After she ripped open the packet and applied the condom on my length, (Y/N) breathed on my skin. Then, in the most sensuous way, she whispered, “Because I need that too,” and lowered her positively wet heat onto my cock, and moaned in my ear as she did.

"F-fuck," I said, squeezing my eyes shut at the feeling of her. " _Yes_."

Holding my shoulders for leverage, she started to move her hips, lifting herself almost all the way off of me before sinking back down. She pressed her forehead against mine, and I could feel her hot breath fan across my cheeks.

Then, she changed up her pace, moving harder and faster and getting louder with it.

I'd never known anything so breathtaking.

I decided _to hell with it_ and brought my bound hands around her. I know I’d never previously been with… a woman of her profession, but surely it wasn’t always like _this_? Surely her eyes were never this hungry, or desperate, or… happy? I knew these wishful thoughts would come back to haunt me later, but I pushed them out because I needed to be present. I had always spent so much time in the past or the future. (Y/N) kept me in the now.

Whatever happened after this week, I'd have to deal with, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from enjoying the time I did have with her.

I could tell she was starting to get close, her mewls becoming higher in pitch and her movements more erratic. I thrust up into her hard a few times and she gripped my shirt in her fists. Her head flew back as her walls clenched around me, coming with a cry of ecstasy.

And I was right behind her, feeling my own wave of release and her hands in my hair. (Y/N) kissed along my jaw when we’d finished, and her lips came dangerously close to mine. I wanted her to know this was torturous for me but held my tongue. She pulled away from my face, and we stared at each other for a moment.

Until she looked away and ducked out from my tied up wrists.

She undid them in silence, looking apprehensive, and different. What I wouldn’t give to be able to read her mind right now. Her lips turned up in a small, sweet smile.

“I’ll be in bed,” she said, pointing to the bedroom, “You’ll tell me about your day?”

All my body would allow me to do was nod.

“Okay.”

I watched her pad her way to the bedroom, naked and flushed, and couldn’t stop the voice in my head telling me that I was falling in love with her.


	9. Chapter 9

 

**~Her~**

 

“It smells like death here,” I said, maybe a little too loudly, looking around at the hundreds of people dressed to the nines for this horse racing event. I dropped to a whisper, “What if someone recognizes me?”

Harry looked at me fondly, which already made me feel better. “Impossible. No one from here frequents your part of town. You’ll be fine,” he reassured me. His arms hugged my waist before he took my hands in his. “And you look beautiful.”

No matter how many times he told me that, I didn't think I'd ever get tired of hearing it. I smiled sweetly up at him, flattening the skirt of my white day-dress as I looked around the place.

There were quite a few eyes on us, probably more because of Harry than me, since I noticed the vast majority of them were women who looked like they might fall at his feet at any second. Though he seemed totally unfazed by it all.

"Come on," Harry said quietly in my ear before guiding me closer to a small gathering of women who were animatedly talking to each other about the upcoming races. I heard a gasp.

“Harrison? Harrison  _ Wells _ ?” one of the women called enthusiastically. Each head in the group turned at the same time, and it freaked me out, like something out of a horror movie.

“Well, aren’t we truly blessed?” said another in a humongous hat. I already noticed my fidgeting and stopped, trying to stand up a little straighter. I knew that’s what Harry would have told me to do if he could.

“Ladies,” he greeted them politely. The one in outdated shoulder pads giggled loudly just at that, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. They couldn't have been more obvious if they tried.

"This is my friend, (Y/N) (Y/L/N)," he introduced me, and I shook hands with each of them whilst trying to keep up a gracious smile. Harry looked as though he was about to ask one of the women a question when he seemed to spot someone else a little further across the room.

"Excuse me,” he said to the group and then lowered his voice. “I won't be a minute," he told me, slipping his hand out of mine and leaving me with these women who seemed to encroach on me as soon as Harry was out of earshot.

“So you’re the flavour of the month?” Big Hat commented.  _ What is that supposed to mean? _ I almost exploded from trying not to frown.

“I’m sorry?”

“Oh, aren’t you aware, sweetie?” said Shoulder Pads. “Harrison has a new lady friend nearly every month. He  _ is _ the most eligible bachelor around these days. Consider yourself lucky, every woman here has been trying to land him.”

I snatched a glass of champagne from a wandering waitstaff person and took a swig. “Yeah, well, I’m not trying to land him, I’m just using him for sex.” I finished off my drink and handed it to one of the women, leaving with a “Toodle-oo.”

I hurried away as fast as I could get away with and did a rapid scan of the room, quickly spotting Harry's unmistakable tall frame where he was talking to a blond man. Heading towards them and eager to get away from the group I think I'd just stunned into silence, I caught Harry's eye as I approached. He waved me over.

"(Y/N)," he said when I reached him, "I'd like you to meet Jack Calhorn, my business advisor. Jack, this is (Y/N) (Y/L/N)."

I shook his hand but straightaway got a vibe from the guy that I seriously didn't like. And I wasn't entirely sure that it was the same kind of general snooty rich person one which I got from everyone else here.

“Ah, it’s wonderful to finally meet you, (Y/N),” Jack said smoothly, “Harrison mentioned he already had a date, but I didn’t believe him!”

“Yup, that’s me.”

“Are you enjoying yourself so far?”

_ That would be a big, fat no. _

“I’m having such a lovely time,” I straight-up lied. The only good thing about today so far was when Harry was beside me. Like he could read my thoughts, Harry’s hand brushed up against mine, and then he linked our fingers together.

“(Y/N), you’ll have to tell me how you convinced Harrison here, to wear a tie,” Jack said, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve  _ ever _ seen that.”

I glanced up at Harry and noticed him fidget ever so slightly. He was wearing the black one that I’d tied him up with yesterday; he seemed quite fond of the article now.

I turned to him, “Harrison, can we go see the horses?” Honestly, I wanted an excuse to get away from his business advisor. There was something about him that rubbed me the wrong way.

“Of course we can,” he said, looking at me as if Jack wasn’t even here with us. “Tell you what? We’ll go check them out, and then you choose one to be our winner.”

“Really?” Harry brought my hand up to kiss it.

“It’s all up to you.”

 

* * *

 

I couldn’t believe it! The horse I picked won the race! It was all so exciting, I jumped up and down and hugged Harry.

“Let’s celebrate,” he said, “I’ll grab us your favourite.”

“Champagne?”

Harry chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll be right back, okay?”

I nodded excitedly. Today was actually turning into a fun day. After Harry left to fetch us some drinks, I spotted a familiarly long-haired man standing not too far from me.

“Cisco, hi!”

The tech tycoon turned at the sound of his name. “(Y/N), nice to see you again,” he said happily, “Are you here with Doctor Wells?”

“I am, yes. He’s been looking forward to talking to you today.”

“I’m sure,” Cisco scoffs, “Let me guess. Something to do with bringing down my counter offer?”

“Oh, Harry doesn’t talk to me about his business dealings,” I lied, which seemed to be a theme today. I knew Harry was dying to convince Cisco to lower the price of his company, but I thought maybe I could help by buttering him up.

“Harry, huh?” Cisco caught the nickname. “You two seem very close for ‘just friends’.”

I laughed. “Now, Cisco, I don’t kiss and tell!”

We chatted for quite a while in between the two races, mostly about our love for nerd-related stuff. It was a blast (and I didn’t have to mingle with those awful women), and Harry would be proud - I even managed not to make him sound like the jerk Cisco was so adamant to think he was.

Although, during our lively discussion, I saw Jack, Harry’s advisor, staring at me more than once. If I didn’t think he was a creep before, now I definitely did.

A woman came up and tapped Cisco on the shoulder, and whispered something in his ear.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N), I have to take care of something,” he said, “It was awesome to see you again. Enjoy the rest of the races.”

“Thank you.” I waved goodbye. But now I stood here alone and felt my palms getting sweaty with nerves.

“Hello again, Miss (Y/L/N).”

I jumped at having Jack Calhorn sneak up behind me, and he now stood at my side. I made sure to plaster on my fakest wide smile.

“Hello, Jack.”

“Must be quite the change from the South End of Star City, hmm?”

My smile fell, confused at how Jack could possibly know where I was from. Harry told me no one would recognize me here, so how is it that this Calhorn guy knew where I conduct my business?

“What?”

“Oh yeah, Harrison told me,” the man said nonchalantly, “and don’t you worry. Your little secret is safe with me, I promise.” I clenched my teeth together and crossed my arms as he continued, “Listen, maybe you and I could uh… get together sometime after Harrison leaves for Central City?”

Jack ran a finger down my arm, and I stepped aside, feeling my skin crawl. I didn’t say anything. “Think about it, huh? I think we’d have fun.”

I held my arm and stayed where I was, waiting for him to leave and hoped no more eyes were on me. If this guy knew, who else did? I felt sick.

How could Harry tell people?  _ Why _ would he tell people? Did Harry just offer me up to his advisor?  _ I thought we were…  _ No _. _ No, I would  _ not _ finish that sentence in my head because  _ this _ was why I didn’t get emotionally attached. This was what Laurie taught me from the beginning.

I needed out of this deal before it was too late.

 

* * *

 

“Are you alright?”

I pushed past Harry once we’d finally made it back to the suite. The whole ride back I thought to myself,  _ get in, get my money, get out. In, money, out. _

“Fine,” I answered curtly and heard the annoyance in Harry’s sigh.

“That’s all you’ve said for the last thirty minutes. I’m starting to think you’re not fine.”

“Well, you  _ are _ the  _ genius _ , aren’t you?” I spat. I made my way over to the bedroom and began grabbing my things.

He looked a little taken aback by my comment but followed me into the room, and threw his suit jacket on the bed. “(Y/N), do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

“What’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on if you tell  _ me  _ why you would bother spending a small fortune on buying clothes for me to “look the part” when I might as well have gone out there in my underwear with what you were saying to people! You told everyone I was a hooker!” I shouted, putting my hands on my hips and staring him down. 

“I did not tell every-” he tried, but I cut him off.

“At least when I’m wearing my own clothes, I know what people are going to say to me, rather than someone like your pal Jack coming up and propositioning me on the spot!”

A look flickered in Harry’s eyes and it looked to me like that was the first he’d heard of it, but I was too fired up to care. 

“I am sorry that happened, and I am more angry with Calhorn than you know,” he said, “I only told him because he started asking questions and had this notion that you were with me as a spy for the Ramon deal and I had to say-”

“You didn’t have to say  _ that _ ,” I countered. “You could have come up with something to say instead because I’m not some toy that you can just pass on to your buddies when you’re through with me.”

“I don’t think that! You know I don’t think that,” he said. I just rolled my eyes and headed for the closet to pull my black work dress and shoes out. He followed while taking his tie off and continuing. “And it wasn’t a lie! You _ are  _ a hooker!”

“Oh and that makes it better? Look,  _ I _ choose my clients. No one else. And if you think you’ve got some sort of power over me, you don’t.” I held all my things in my arms and stormed back into the bedroom to throw my bag over my shoulder.

“I have no wish to fight with you for the next few days. My apology was sincere, so can we please move past it?” Harry said, coming to a stop beside me.

“Well, you won’t have to fight with me for any more days,” I said firmly, throwing my last few things onto the pile in my arms and facing the door.

“What do you mean? Where are you going?”

“I want my money,” I said, struggling with keeping my voice level, “I want out.” I refused to look at Harry, so I had no idea what expression he wore. It seemed like he also couldn’t bear to look at me as he reached in his pocket for his wallet for the cash, then tossed it onto the bed. Harry walked away from his money.

And then it hit me.

I didn’t actually  _ want _ his money. I wanted  _ him _ .

But what was the point now? I was too proud to stay, and he’d still pissed me off, so it looked like this was the end. I ended up walking away from his money, too.

Out in the hallway, I repeatedly pressed the elevator button as if that would summon it faster. After the revelation of my developing feelings for the man, I knew it wouldn’t take much for me to stay. I found myself looking for excuses, anything to defend his actions for telling Jack I was a prostitute from the South End.

_ Come on, elevator. _

I heard the penthouse door open, but I told myself to keep looking forward. I felt Harry’s presence radiate from behind me.

“(Y/N).” He moved up beside me now, trying to get me to meet his eyes, but I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t look at him or else I’d crumble. “I’m sorry,” Harry said softly, but surely.

I didn’t say anything. I figured I’d interrupted him enough times back there, so I let him say his piece. 

“The questions about us… they took me by surprise. They shouldn’t have, but they did. It was callous of me to say anything about you, and I wish I could change what I said.”

I fixated on the doors to the elevator, chewing on the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.

“But I don’t want you to leave. I can’t... Will you please come back inside?”

“I…” I started but couldn’t think of anything to say. The last thing I wanted to do was walk out of here. Harry must have sensed my confliction.

“Earlier, at the racetrack, I saw you talking to Ramon,” he told me, looking down at the floor for a second before settling on me again. “I didn’t like it.”

“We were just  _ talking _ ,” I said quickly, not sure whether I should be getting defensive or flattered by his evident possessive streak. But if he didn’t like  _ that _ , he certainly hadn’t offered me up to Jack Calhorn.

“I know you were, but I still didn’t like it.” 

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open in front of me. I felt Harry’s eyes on me, waiting to see if I’d dare to go. 

But I couldn’t do it. 

I just let them close in front of my face a few seconds later before finally looking Harry in the eye.

“You really hurt me.”

“I know.”

I nodded and blinked back my tears. “Don’t do it again,” I said before turning around and heading back into the suite, Harry close behind me.

 

* * *

 

Things were a little awkward between us for a while after I came back into the room with him. It was strange. We had never been like this with each other, but during our dreadfully quiet dinner, I thought  _ this isn’t worth it _ , and resulted to the only tactic I knew: Nothing like a little make-up sex to break the tension.

Dinner wasn’t the only thing eaten at the table that night.

Our adventures followed us into the bedroom, where after the first part of the night had us apologizing and forgiving with our bodies, the second half was a lot more revealing. Just in a different way.

We laid facing each other in bed, the sheets loose and barely covering us. We talked. We talked for what felt like hours, both of us naked and honest and exposing everything about ourselves. Well, almost everything.

“Have you always lived in Star City?” Harry asked me at one point.

“No, not always,” I said, “I’ve only lived here for a few years.”

“What was the deciding factor to stay?”

“It wasn’t so much as me  _ deciding _ as it was me being an  _ idiot _ . I made the biggest mistake of my life by following a  _ boy _ I thought I loved here to Star City. I was young and stupid and had no idea he’d take everything I had. Literally, and in every sense.”

“(Y/N)...” His eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“You’re probably wondering how I came to be a prostitute, aren’t you?”

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind.”

“I get it,” I said. “Everyone’s path in the business is different. Either getting there, during and especially the way out. I met my friend Laurie on the first night the guy used and dumped me. She took care of me because I couldn’t go home. I wasn’t wanted. So there I was - desperate and alone, hungry and broken… Laurie told me what she did for a living - sex for money - and I don’t know, everything seemed to fall into place after that. I cried the whole time with my first client. But it got easier in time.”

“No emotions on the job?” Harry remembered.

“Yeah… no emotions.” I shifted onto my side, resting my head in my hand. I feared I needed to change the topic off of me and my depressing life.

“Then why-?”

“-Uh-uh, it’s my turn to ask questions, Mister ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’,” I said with a grin.

“Is that what they’re saying about me?” he asked, running a hand through his hair before settling it on the pillow again.

“Like you don’t know,” I teased before turning a little more serious. “I couldn’t work out if the women were just trying to make me jealous or something, but they were saying about how you have a different woman on your arm every month. But I couldn’t help but notice that… well, when we were first  _ intimate _ , you couldn’t have done that in a while.”

“Wow, thank you for telling me it’s that obvious.” 

“Well, it isn’t  _ now, _ not that you’re back into the swing of things,” I said with a wink. “But it was… so, tell me, what’s your story, Harry?”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second before meeting my gaze again. I didn’t necessarily expect him to tell me everything but seeing as I’d just divulged pretty much my whole life story to him, I kind of hoped the openness went both ways.

“It’s been just over ten years since I lost my wife. A long and lonely ten years. For the longest time, I couldn’t even  _ think  _ about the possibility of finding someone else, but it doesn’t always look good for someone like me to turn up alone to events like today, for example. And Jack makes certain I don’t, no matter how much I protest.”

“Wait, you’re telling me that Jack sets you up with women every month? He’s like a pimp...” I whispered the last bit to myself while looking up at the ceiling.

“Every month is maybe an exaggeration, but every event, there’s a different woman by my side, yes. Just, despite what the gossip says, never in my bed.”

“I’m in your bed…”

“You are.”

“What makes me the exception?” I couldn’t help but ask, more than likely setting myself up for my own heartbreak. His thumb rubbed small circles on my cheek.

“Because…” I watched Harry’s chest rise and fall once each. “Because you’re my good luck charm. How else would you explain you picking the winning horse today? Which, I believe we still smell like. Shall I draw a bath for us?”

I laughed a little at that, agreeing to the idea. Although, something about Harry’s answer sounded as if it wasn’t what he really wanted to say.


	10. Chapter 10

 

 

**~Him~**

 

“Jack, I can’t talk right now,” I said hurriedly into the phone. “I’m leaving soon for my date. I can’t-”

“Date? Since when do you have a date, Harrison? That’s not like you! Is it with the hooker?”

“I’d be careful if I were you, _Jack_.”

“What? I’m just saying, no matter how bad the date goes, at least you’ll have a happy ending if you know what I mean-”

I hung up on the bastard, trying not to let my temper get the better of me. There was no way in hell I was going to let anyone or anything ruin tonight with (Y/N). It had to be perfect. She deserved perfect.

I was stood out in the main room of the penthouse, waiting for her to come out from behind the closed doors of the bedroom. I felt nervous, which was incredibly unlike me, and I took to pacing a small section of the room and fiddling with my white shirt collar every so often.

I checked my watch and knew that we would have to leave in fifteen minutes if we were going to make it on time, information which I shared with (Y/N).

“Good things come to those who wait,” she shouted back. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Okay,” I replied, but I went back to pacing anyway if just to occupy myself and keep my nerves at bay.

A few minutes later, (Y/N) emerged finally from the bedroom in the most sublime red dress that could probably make the world stand still.

Though mine already had.

“Pick up your jaw, hot stuff,” she said cheekily. “And my eyes are up here.”

“You look…” I couldn’t even finish my sentence.

She smiled, taking a few steps further towards me before kissing my cheek. She was the definition of beauty and sophistication. It took me a second to remember I had something for her. I grabbed the box on the desk behind me and held it in front of her.

“Now, this is only a loan, but I thought you might like to wear this for tonight,” I said, and opened the lid, presenting her with a glittering diamond and ruby necklace. (Y/N)’s eyes widened in amazement.

“I get to wear _that_?” she said, apprehensive to touch the jewelry piece.

“If you let me do the honours?” I removed the item with care from the box and stood behind her to place it around her neck. She looked in the mirror at it, her smile brighter than the necklace itself.

“Harrison… how did you- how much is this thing worth?”

“Quarter of a million.”

“Whaa-? Are you pulling my leg?” Her eyes had gone wide, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

We made our way down to the lobby side by side, all the while passing hotel guests and staff whose heads turned as we walked by them. Although, this time, they were undeniably looking at (Y/N). But not with judgement.

I led her outside where I had a ride arranged to take us to the airfield. Where we were going wasn’t in Star City.

Once we were comfortably seated in the back of the car, (Y/N) excitedly turned to me.

“So, where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” I said, trying not to smile at the way she looked so desperate to know. She practically bounced the whole way to our destination and tried to pry a few clues from me, but I remained tight-lipped.

I helped her step out of the limousine and onto the tarmac upon arrival. Her eyebrows shot up at that sight of my jet sitting there waiting for us. (Y/N) turned to me.  
“Harry, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to impress me.”

I grinned. “What gave you that impression?”

She shook her head at me and took my arm as I led her to our personal transportation to Central City for the evening.

 

* * *

 

“The Ballet?”

“Do you like it?” I asked as (Y/N) looked at the programme for Swan Lake I’d handed to her.

“I’ve always wanted to go…” she said, nodding. Believe it or not, I wasn’t aware of this fact. I only saw the event as a perfect opportunity for a night out.

I almost fell as I accompanied her up the velvety red stairs to our seats. It didn’t matter that (Y/N) wore the most expensive clothing and diamonds here. I sincerely believed she was more beautiful - inside and out - than anyone else in this room. I only had eyes for her.

We walked out onto the balcony to find our seats, and I turned to see if (Y/N) was alright but noticed she had stopped in her tracks. Her eyes studied the auditorium - the stage, the golden lights, the many people below us finding their seats.

“Are you coming, (Y/N)?”

“Yeah.”

I knew that if this was her reaction to the venue alone, I couldn’t imagine how blown away she’d look during the performance. All I knew was that I wouldn’t be able to keep my eyes off her once the show started.

We reached our seats and (Y/N) folded her hands in her lap, looking down at the stage with a look of awe. I placed my hand over hers which at once drew her attention to me, and she laced our fingers together. I smiled softly as I rubbed little circles on her skin.

The lights went out a few minutes later and the show began. The dancing was flawless and captivating, but as I’d predicted, I found (Y/N)’s reactions to be even more so.

She became especially enchanted with the dances of the Prima Ballerina and her two roles during the third act and at the tragic end of the ballet, she squeezed my hand tightly, and I watched her brush away some tears with the side of her hand.

When the dancers came out to take their bows, she was one of the first people on their feet, clapping with such enthusiasm that I knew I didn’t have to ask whether she’d enjoyed it.

Retaking her hand, I led her out of the theatre, but she was gushing the whole way down to the car.

“Did you see how elegant they were, Harry? And being up on their toes like that, doesn’t it hurt? It’s incredible.”

“It really is,” I replied, helping her down the stairs so that she didn’t trip on her dress.

One older lady seemed to overhear her wonder-filled comments and asked whether she’d enjoyed the show, and (Y/N) replied with how thrilled she was to have seen it. She turned to me when the lady had moved on, and I could see on her face at how delighted she was not to be on the end of someone’s judgement like she had been this week. She could just talk about something she loved.

I led her outside into the still bustling street, even though it was relatively late.

“Where are we going now, Harry?” she asked as I opened the door for her.

“Somewhere special.”

We drove a little further away from the centre of the city before getting out again. (Y/N) looked a little confused for a moment, but then I gestured above to the circular building containing my life’s (and future) work. “(Y/N)... welcome to S.T.A.R. Labs.”

She studied every section of the Labs as we passed through the glass doors, marvelling at our displays in the lobby, and the history along the walls. I wanted to show her every little thing, but there was one place in particular I needed her to see.

We took the elevator up a few floors and I guided her in the direction of our journey’s end. The finale, if you will.

Unlocking the door in front of me with my retina scan, I took her hand and led her into the pitch black room. I felt her hand grip mine tighter.

“It’s okay,” I said softly. “Give it a second.”

I clicked a button on the fob in my pocket creating the first few twinkles appearing above us, followed by a few more, quickly growing in number until the entire room simulated a starry night. I heard her take in a breath.

“This is… It’s… I’m-”

For the first time since I’d known (Y/N), she was the one at a loss for words.

I clicked a different button on the fob and music began to play over the speaker system. I held out my hand. “Care to dance?”

I’d chosen the song before I’d seen her dressed up tonight, but now, the words to _The Way You Look Tonight_ mirrored what I was feeling when I looked at her. She was bewitching, but I couldn’t put it into words myself.

She laughed softly, still smiling in wonder, but didn’t hesitate in taking my hand, and I brought her close to me. I placed my hand on the small of her back as hers went around me to hold my shoulder from behind. She rested her chin on my shoulder and leaned her head against mine softly, and we began to sway in the middle of the constellations shining around us.

Indeed the centre of our own little universe.

We stayed in each other’s hold for a minute, moving in time to the music, until I slid my hand to her waist and encouraged her to spin out and then back into my arms, just to watch her giggle. I did it again, but this time when she turned back, our faces ended up an inch apart from each other. Looking into my eyes, she blinked a few times, as though she was considering closing the gap, but then dipped her head and just rested herself against my chest again. She wound her arms around my middle and tucked her head under my chin.

I breathed in the scent of her hair in my inaudible sigh, and just wrapped my arms around her as the song came to an end. But (Y/N) didn’t move from where she was hugging me, so I didn’t either. Instead, I continued to sway on the spot, turning in a small circle so that she could see all of the stars around us.

“Tell me about them,” she said quietly, the noise muffled by my shirt, and truthfully I almost missed it.

“Hmm?”

“The stars. Tell me about them,” she repeated, pulling back a little to look at me again. I just smiled and nodded, taking her hand before helping her down to the floor with me, as gracefully as I could.

We lay down on our backs, fingers joined between us, gazing up at the domed ceiling and I started to talk about the constellations. I pointed them out to her, told her about the stories behind them and answered her questions, some of them genuinely surprising me at times.

“Not one of them is the same, is it?” she asked, looking over at me.

“No, they’re all unique,” I told her, meeting her eyes and giving her hand a soft squeeze.

I didn’t know how long we laid there, but I knew I could stay there with her forever. This evening had gone better than I ever could have hoped for.

And I also knew that I couldn’t hope to suppress my feelings for her anymore. I’d known she’d unlocked something the night we’d met, but now, as cliche as it sounded, I was willing to give her the key to my heart. I wanted to know what else she could make me feel just by spending time in her company.

She was making me a better man.

We could just make out a clock chiming eleven outside and decided that it was time to leave, however much neither of us wanted to. But we did need to get back to Star City after all.

I was afraid I would fall asleep on the way back to the hotel. I’d spent every minute of today planning and organizing this night for (Y/N) to go off without a hitch. I blinked my eyes to keep myself awake, but mostly for the sole purpose of revelling in her holding onto me in the back of the car as we left the airfield and made our way back towards uptown Star City.

I rested my cheek on the top of her head and brought our joined hands up to kiss the back of hers.

I had to tell her.


	11. Chapter 11

****

 

**~Her~**

 

I swayed and hummed the tune we’d danced to while getting myself ready for bed in the bathroom. It had to have been the best night of my life. Harry did everything for me, and I was on cloud nine. No one had ever done something like that for me before. So thoughtful and caring and utterly magical.

Harry hadn't said anything in a little while, and I knew he was exhausted now. I could tell he'd been fighting off sleep all the way back from Central City. Finishing up, I exited the bathroom and went to see if he was alright in the next room.

And what I saw made me so happy.

Harry rested up against the headboard of the bed and was under the covers. His bare chest moved slowly up and down in his peaceful sleep. _Finally_. This man never seemed to give in to sleep - a total workaholic - and now here he was.

I moved around the bed and went to sit down beside him on the edge of the mattress, not able to wipe the smile off of my face. Seeing him like this, this whole evening together; I wasn't sure that _anything_ was capable of taking my smile away.

Sighing contentedly, I brought my hand up, kissing two of my fingertips before gently touching them to his slightly parted lips.

He still didn’t stir, so I leaned in to kiss his cheek gently. My eyes then flicked to his lips on their own accord.

_Do I dare?_

I hesitantly hovered mine mere inches in front of his, but I couldn’t resist them any longer. I'd never, ever, broken this rule for a client. But he was my one exception in everything, it seemed.

I brushed my lips so delicately against his, butterflies flitting about in my stomach as I did. I couldn't help but be a little hesitant. I hadn’t kissed anyone like this in so long, I’d become a little self conscious about it. But then I put a little more meaning into it, feeling how soft his lips were against mine. The feeling was indescribable.

Harry startled awake, and that’s when my heart stopped. I pulled away with wide eyes at being caught breaking my own rule as his own blinked to understand what had just happened. I couldn't think of anything to say, so for a moment we just stared at each other. But then Harry seemed to find himself and leaned forward, taking my face in his hand and pressing his lips against mine again. Hard and desperate, like he'd been waiting for this, and deep down, I knew he had. But he'd let me make the first move, which made me want this even more. Made me want _him_ even more.

Our mouths seemed to move effortlessly together like we were in sync. I held on to his muscular upper arms as we explored one another with each kiss. I let my hands wander up his warming skin, up to wrap around his neck. Harry did the same, holding me as if never wanting to let me go.

I'd forgotten how this could feel. It _did_ make it more personal, and I found I wanted that with him, more than anything. This was exposing myself in a whole other way to the one I was used to, but he just made it feel easy.

Harry carefully lowered me down to lay on the mattress, hovering above me, with his lips never once leaving mine. I felt his hand glide up the side of me in my nightdress, but what I needed was to feel him on my skin. Lifting the article up and over me, I bared myself to him. His eyes twinkled like the city lights outside our window.

"You're so beautiful."

He looked at me like I was so precious to him, and I savoured every glance. I brought him down, our noses brushing against each other and his bare chest pressed against mine. One of his hands ran up my thigh, as the other settled back on my cheek.

“Kiss me again,” I told him, and Harry did just that, only with such heat and passion that my need for more, for him, became overpowering. I moaned into his mouth.

“Harrison...”

He took his hand from my thigh to push his boxers down and off his body. His hard excitement pressed against me and I let him remove the last lacy article from me. I felt heady from the slow, careful manner in which he did. Never had I wanted something so bad.

Harry gazed down at me and brushed my hair from out of my face.

"Do you have protection?" he breathed, and I nodded, indicating with my head to the bedside table. He leant over and grabbed one of the packets next to my phone before tearing it open. I then took the condom from him and rolled it onto his hard length, watching the way his eyelashes fluttered as I touched him.

With that in place, I laid back on the bed and I let my hand come up and caress his cheek, looking into his blue eyes which held so much emotion in their depths.

I pulled him close for another kiss as I felt him push against my entrance. My head tilted up when he entered me, exposing my neck to his lips. Harry kissed me everywhere, every patch of skin, while his rolling hips made me eager for more of what he had to give to me.

I wrapped my legs around his middle, pushing my hips up to meet his thrusts each and every time with little moans of pleasure escaping me. His lips kissed up my neck and across to my own again. Now I'd broken my rule, I knew we both wanted to experience what we'd been missing out on so far as much as we could.

I don’t think we could have been closer, both physically and mentally. Our chests brushed together with each motion Harry made inside of me, creating a bigger flame with each push. He read my body with such ease and surely knew by my tell-tale sounds how close I was and how good he made me feel.

I tangled one hand in his hair and the other trailed up his back, fingers digging into his skin.

"Ah, Harry, yes!" I said as I felt myself reach my climax, kissing him hard as I arched my back, pressing into his chest and he took me someplace that was just me and him, alone in our ecstasy. And then, something even more incredible happened.

We lost ourselves to each other, coming together at the same time. His forehead pressed to mine, his hand on the pulse in my neck. I cried his name repeatedly.

I took a series of long breaths to calm myself down when we’d finished, watching as Harry's eyes opened and focused on me. Neither of us moved for a minute, just catching our breath and savouring the feeling of each other before he finally pulled out of me and dealt with the condom.

I crawled back up towards the pillows, collapsing against them as Harry slid back into bed next to me. Our heads rested together on the same pillow. I felt his arms wrap around me from behind and his fingers traced light lines up my arm. I still had one foot set in our other world but was soon hurtled back to reality after he broke our comfortable silence.

“I love you,” he said, his voice quiet and sleepy, but loud enough that I knew I hadn't mistaken it for anything else. My heart skipped a beat. _Love_? He loved me?

I was stunned. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't. I just interlocked his fingers with mine over my heart and listened to Harry’s breathing even out as he succumbed to sleep once more.


	12. Chapter 12

****

 

**~Him~**

The next morning, I sat anxiously eating my breakfast parfait. I’d told (Y/N) I loved her last night and here she was standing at the other side of the table, still not having said anything in regards to my confession. I didn’t necessarily expect her to say it back, but she acted as if nothing happened last night, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

I meant what I said when I told her I loved her. I didn’t care if it had only been a few days. I hadn’t felt love for another woman in over ten years, but that didn’t mean I didn’t recognize the feeling when it arose.

For what felt like the millionth time, I wished I knew what she was thinking. But what I did know was this - if she didn’t want to talk about it, I’d have to approach the subject carefully.

“So,” I started, “my business here is almost finalized. If I can get Ramon to agree to sign some papers, I’ll have his company. And, then I’ll be flying back home to Central City.”

_What will she say to that?_

(Y/N) sat down in her chair and pretended to read the newspaper. “You’ve worked so hard on this. I’m so happy for you.”

Her words didn’t match her eyes. I set my hand on top of hers.

“(Y/N), I realize our time is coming to an end very soon,” I said, trying to get her to look at me, “and I meant what I said…  _last night_ , and I thought I’d be a fool if I didn’t ask-”

My phone decided to ring in my pocket, vibrating urgently to get my attention. I wanted to throw the device across the room at the sight of Jack’s name, but I answered it anyway. As usual, the man began talking before I could acknowledge him.

“You need to get down here,  _now_. Ramon wants to discuss the papers with only you.”

_Not now, please._

“Did he say why?” I asked.

“No, just that he’d only discuss it with you,” Jack explained, “and it had to be today. He’s here right now.”

“Yeah, okay,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. I hung up and had to decide between securing this company deal or trying to convince the woman I loved to stay with me.

“I have to go…” I said slowly, “It’s about Ramon, but I will be  _right back_. Please, don’t go anywhere, okay?”

(Y/N) nodded wordlessly, eyes fixated on the fruit plate in front of her. I could only hope she wouldn’t decide to flee before our time had run out.

~

Jack was on me the instant I walked in the offices. He had always been terrible when it came to spatial awareness.

“Ramon is in the conference room with my associates,” Jack informed me, “He won’t speak business unless you’re in there.”

I said nothing and inhaled a deep breath before entering the conference room. What I needed to do had suddenly become so apparent. I walked into the room and addressed the group of executives.

“Can Mr. Ramon and I have the room, please,” I said authoritatively, and everyone promptly started to move. Jack furrowed his brow and I got a few other curious looks, not least from Ramon himself, but they did as I said, leaving the space until it was just the two of us.

“Wells, I’m giving up. You’re getting my entire life’s work, there is nothing you can say to make that any better-”

“I hope to change your mind on that,” I replied, coming around the table and taking the vacant chair next to him. “An idea was suggested to me earlier this week, but until now, I didn’t want to consider it. But  _now_ , I think that it might be the best thing for the both of us.”

Ramon looked intrigued and turned his chair to face me more directly. “What are you thinking?”

“That I’ve been… selfish. Truly, my hamartia throughout the years, even when I try to deny it. I’ve denied a lot of things about myself in the past… but I digress. Consider every option, every dollar amount I’ve offered you, Ramon, and  _disregard_  it.”

“What’chu talkin’ ‘bout, Wells?” Even while conducting business, the young punk made television show references from before he was born.

“I’m saying, I don’t want your company anymore,” I explained, “What I want now is to be your collaborative partner on the Telecator project.”

“My partner? On the  _Trans-Dimensional_  Telecator project?” Ramon attempts to comprehend. “You understand that requires shared recognition, profits,  _and_  ideas, right?”

I gave the younger man a small smile. “Yeah, I understand that, and I’m willing to change so that we can create something spectacular that this world - and others - greatly needs.” I stuck my hand out to him and hoped for the best. “What do you say?”

There was a beat of silence where I was sure I’d just made a jackwagon out of myself, but then Ramon shook my hand, genuinely smiling at me for possibly the first time, ever.

“Now that I can agree to,” he said.

“Really?”

“Really. I’ll look forward to working together.”

“Great. Yes, I will to,” I said, a little confused at how easy that was. “Can I ask why-”

“I know this was her idea. She’s good for you, Wells,” he said and immediately I knew he was talking about (Y/N). He honestly was a bright kid. “I hope you realize that. Don’t ever let her slip away from you.”

I nodded. “She’s incredible, I know, and I hope I can make it work.”

“We’ll keep in touch about our first partnership meeting,” he assured me, “but in the meantime, you should go see about ‘making it work.’”

_Ugh, air quotes._

“Thank you. I will.”

Leaving the conference room, I felt considerably better about this whole deal than I think I would have with any other outcome. As I stepped into one of the elevators, I saw Jack and his associates re-enter the room, where Ramon would undoubtedly explain our agreement. I’d have to deal with the fallout on that one later, but for now, there was somewhere much more important that I needed to be.

I got back into the car and told the driver to take me back to the hotel, but a slightly scenic route so that I could think of exactly the right thing to say so that I had the best chance of making this work with (Y/N).


	13. Chapter 13

****

 

**~Her~**

 

I’d watched Harry hurriedly leave the penthouse to talk to Cisco before immediately calling Laurie. I didn’t know how to deal with the feelings I currently had and knew I had to try and talk about it with someone who knew me well. Laurie was practically family and would help me with anything if she knew something was wrong.

Once she’d agreed to come and meet me, I changed into one of my new dresses and headed downstairs to the lobby to wait for her.

“Look at you and your fancy duds!” Laurie exclaimed from behind me, giving me a huge hug. “Damn, girl.”

“Thanks,” I said with a little laugh. I showed her the way to the sitting area outside where we sat down at one of the empty tables on the veranda.

“So when does he leave?” she asked me urgently. “When’s your job done?”

My brain held the question in my head for a little too long: _When’s your job done._ It hurt inside to remember that this whole thing was work. Harry had even asked me in the beginning clearly stating it was a ‘business proposition.’ But after… what he said to me last night, I had been thrown for a loop.

“Tomorrow,” I tried not to sigh.

“Get to keep the clothes?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, what’s going on here?” Laurie asked, leaning in closer to look at me.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh no…” She shook her head.

“ _What_?”

“You kissed him on the mouth, didn’t you? I can tell!”

“Well, _yes_ , but-”

“-I knew it! And now you’re all _off_. See, this is why we have the rule.”

“He told me he loved me last night,” I confessed, watching her mouth open a little at the information. Laurie was silent for a minute, taking it in.

“He did what? Dude, I knew he was crazy since you first told me about him,” she went on, “I mean, who falls in love with a hooker? No offence, but I mean-”

“-We had sex.”

“Well yeah, no shit. That’s what we do.”

“Except it was _more_ than just sex,” I tried to explain. “He made love to me.”

Laurie’s face scrunched up. “Ew, gross, don’t ever use that phrase again.”

“I’m _serious_. It was… on a whole other level than anything I’ve ever experienced, Laurie. There’s no other phrase for it.”

“So, are you saying you have feelings for him too?”

“I do… but I can’t accept them because I just know he’s going to break my heart.”

“How do you know that?” she asked.

“Because! He’s a rich, smart, attractive man who has rich, smart, attractive women practically throwing themselves at him - yeah, I’ve seen it in person! - And it’s just… he’s going to eventually see that I’m not like them, that I never will be. And that’ll be the end of everything. If I continue to pretend this is all business, and that I get to go home after this, and never see him again, it would be less of a blow than having him say to my face he doesn’t want me.”

Laurie sat up straighter. “Have you talked to him about this?”

“No. I’ve been afraid to mention it. Besides, what’s the point if we’re going to go our separate ways in the end, anyway?”

“(Y/N)... I think that if you’re this worked up over the guy, it’s probably worth looking into.”

I exhaled. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I tried!” she said, throwing her arms up in the air and slapping her knees. “Now, how do I go about asking you for a loan, Miss Rich Lady?”

I shook my head and smiled.

“How many times do I have to tell you, L, _you_ still owe _me_!”

 

~

 

I’d been wandering around the suite for what felt like hours after Laurie left. I’d been packing, putting all of my things out near the door so that I was ready to go. But I still hadn’t decided where I would be going _to._

I kept imagining what a life with Harry might be like - never having to worry about making the rent by sleeping with some sleaze, being with him after he came home from his Labs of an evening, finding something I actually _wanted_ to do as a career. But then this perfect vision would always end with him leaving me…

I’d done this before, followed a guy to a new place, only to be left broken when he found he didn’t really want me.

I couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ , let myself feel like that again.

My frantic thinking was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. I didn’t know if Harry was expecting anyone, and I knew I certainly wasn’t, but I wandered up to the door and peered through the peephole.

It was Jack Calhorn.

He was literally the _last_ person I wanted to see, but then I started thinking. _Odd… isn’t he supposed to be with at the office with Harry?_

I didn’t know what was going on, so I took a deep breath, put a reluctant smile on my face, and opened the door to the man, however much I seriously didn’t want to.

“Jack. I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, keeping the door as closed as I could get away with.

“Is Harrison in there with you?” he asked forcefully, sounding pretty annoyed.

“No, I haven’t seen him since he left for the meeting. Isn’t he with you?”

“ _No_ , I’m sure he’s getting all buddy-buddy with Ramon right about now,” Jack huffed, pushing past me and into the suite. _Rude_. I hadn’t even motioned for him to come in. _Great_. The man walked up to the room’s bar counter and poured himself a drink.

“What do you mean by that?” As much as I didn’t want to engage with Calhorn, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Harrison just lost me the deal of a lifetime by _partnering_ with Ramon!” Jack rants. “I can’t believe it. It’s so unlike him! Where in God’s name did he come up with that?”

I sat down on the couch, looking away and I smiled to myself so he wouldn’t see. That was my idea.

_Harry listened to me._

I caught Jack staring at me when I turned back. I quickly wiped the smile off my face, at the sudden feeling of nervousness.

“Well, Harry should be back home any minute.”

“ _Harry_ ? _Home_?”

Jack slowly started to walk over to where I sat, placing his drink down on the table and taking the spot next to me. I shuffled away a little more, feeling very uncomfortable.

“This is just a hotel room, not his _home_ . You aren’t his girlfriend, you know? Not his partner or anything so permanent. You’re a hooker. A good one, I’ll give you that, because you’ve got Harrison wrapped so tightly around your finger that he’s just lost _millions of dollars_ in profits to that _kid_.”

I moved further down the sofa and wrapped my arms around myself, fidgeting like crazy. I hated the tone of his voice right now.

“But maybe he doesn’t care about that anymore. Because I guess if he gets to screw you every night, why would he? But I do care, (Y/N), and I am _pissed_ ,” he continued, and that’s when he ran his fingers down the part of my thigh that was exposed.

I immediately swatted his hand away, moving as close to the arm of the sofa as I could get, but he didn’t stop.

“Perhaps if I screwed you, and took you out to fancy dinners, I could be as carefree as Harrison seems to be now.”

He put his hand more firmly on my leg, which I pushed off, but then he dove more forcefully under my skirt, his fingers digging into my skin like a vice as I tried to claw him off of me.

“Get off me!” I shouted, managing to pull his hand away, but he was stronger than me and was able to push me onto my back on the couch.

“Stop! Gah! No!”

I shook my head and fought like crazy to get out of his grasp, until out of nowhere, I felt Jack get raised off of me, but my hair was in the way to see how. I pushed it back to see Harry holding Jack up by his shirt collar, face red with pure anger.

“Get off her, you bastard!”

Harry managed to haul him towards the door until Jack tripped and fell to the floor. But when he got back up, he started hurling insults and offensive terms at me, which led to Harry pulling back to lay a hammering punch to Calhorn’s face. I sat there on the couch with wide eyes, brimming with tears as they fought, as Jack was forced closer and closer to the door.

“You broke my nose, goddammit! What is wrong with you?” the advisor yelled.

“ _GET OUT_ !” Harry roared at him. “You’re fired! And don’t you _dare_ darken my door again!”

Jack gave Harry the scariest look I’d ever seen but left before he got his ass handed to him any further. Harry let out a heavy breath while staring at the floor, then turned to me with softened and concerned eyes.

“(Y/N), are you okay? Are you hurt? Please be okay.”

“I’m not hurt,” I said, though I was a little shaken. Harry came to sit next to me on the couch but did not touch me, as if letting me take the lead. I hugged him. I didn’t want to imagine what could have happened if he hadn’t shown up in time.

“Is there anything I can do? Seriously, just name it and I can-”

“I have to go,” I cut him off.

“Go? Go where?”

“Home.”

I kept my answers short with him, not being physically able to say more than I could. I motioned to my packed bag I had set by the door.

“Home…” he echoed. “Sure, right.”

Harry went wordlessly to pick up the luggage at the door. I took it from him though, knowing he would probably try to carry it out for me, but I had to break this off now before I couldn’t. I waited, frozen in thought when he mistook my motionlessness for me wanting payment.

“Oh,” he said despondently and reached into his pocket for the money of which I was owed from our agreement. I accepted it, but I felt like shit. Harry opened the door but closed it again.

“Stay with me,” he said. “No, _come_ with me. Home. To Central City. There’s no money in it, just me. Please.” Harry searched my eyes, begging me, but I couldn’t allow myself to give in to something so unknown.

“I _can’t_ ,” was all I could muster. He looked down with a sad smile as if he knew that’s what I was going to say. Harry nodded and re-opened the door after a moment to let it sink in.

“Then I guess this is goodbye.”

I pressed my lips together and swallowed before saying, “Goodbye, Harrison. There’s no other star like you.”

I went to move past him and debated for a second whether or not to kiss his cheek or _anywhere_ for the matter, just as a final goodbye. But I knew that I’d just be rubbing salt into a wound I’d opened and that he didn’t deserve in the first place.

I left the penthouse and heard the door shut behind me, assuming that he couldn’t watch me walk away.

Holding back my tears, I made my way out of the hotel and back onto the street.

Which was exactly where I’d started.


	14. Chapter 14

****

 

**~Her~**

 

I watched the buildings and streets visibly diminish in beauty through the town car’s window. I don’t know why it was such a shock to me all of a sudden. This was where I lived. This was where I called home.

I supposed it would take a little time to get used to again after the five-star hotels and restaurants I'd been frequenting. Maybe I'd never see it quite as I had.

I'd changed since I'd left my apartment last week, and deep down, I knew it was for the better. I wanted more than this.

But despite that, I'd had a glimpse into a perfect life of luxury, and still decided to give it up. I'd decided to give _him_ up. All because I was scared.

I dropped my bag full of expensive clothing to the floor and saw Laurie stick her head out from her room.

“You’re back already?” she questioned. “I thought you had until tomorrow?”

“I had to get out of there. It was... too much.”

“Here, I have something to make you feel better.” Laurie took out a wad of cash and made it rain around me. “Consider yourself paid back!” She wore a proud grin, but I couldn’t return it. I looked around at the bills on the floor.

“You can keep it,” I told her. “I don’t want your money anymore.”

Her smile dropped as I made my way into my room, sitting down on the edge of the bed and staring at the floor.

"You've been on about it all week. I know you're _loaded_ now, but I thought you still wanted what I owed you," Laurie said, standing in front of me.

"Yeah, well, not everything is about money," I said, surprising both of us, I think. I'd never have said that a week ago.

Laurie came over and sat down next to me.

"Are we still talking about you and me? Or is it about Mister Rich and Handsome you've just left behind?"

I exhaled shakily. “Yeah… Harrison. You know, he treated me like I’ve always dreamt a person would.”

“He sounds like a great guy.”

“He is…” I went on to tell her about his last few words to me, how he asked me to go with him to Central City, and Laurie pretty well screamed at me.

“He _what_?!”

“Ow!”

“So you’re telling me, that you’ve met the perfect man who treats you right, who loves you, asked you to go home with him without payment or expectations, and you turned him _down_?”

I paused. “I mean…”

“(Y/N), I know you’re scared,” she said, “But answer this question. Do you love him too?”

I stared at her for a second before nodding, the answer seemingly simple now. "Yes," I got out before putting a hand over my mouth and choking back a sob.

I sat there, wondering now if I had just made the biggest mistake of my life. An even bigger one than following that one asshole to Star City all those years ago. But this time, I _didn’t_ follow the man I knew in my heart that I _loved_. Harrison had surprised me with every move he made, so why couldn’t I trust that he’d continue to surprise me if we were together? I had to trust that his love was enough.

But was it too late now?

"I don't even know if he's still at the hotel..." I said, but Laurie's expression had turned into one of determination. She passed me my phone.

"Call the hotel and ask, I'm going to pack for you," she said as she grabbed my suitcase and started shoving all of my belongings into it. I frantically searched for the hotel’s number on my phone and pressed call once I found it. I cut off the girl who answered on the other end.

“Hi, yes, hello! Can you please tell me if Doctor Harrison Wells is still there at the hotel?”

“I’m sorry, he only checked out a couple of minutes ago,” the girl said.

“Ah! Okaythankyou!” I hung up and yelled, “He’s not there!”

“Do you know where else he’d be?” Laurie shouted from the other room.

“I think so! I just need a ride there, but how?” This all seemed an impossible feat. But then, my best friend in the entire world came out of my room with my bag and brand new information.

“I’ll drive you! Didn’t I tell you? I recently found a Sugar Daddy of my own.”

“You _what?_ _No_!”

 

* * *

 

**~Him~**

 

I don’t know why I even tried. Heartbreak was the reason I had closed myself off in the first place. And what is the cause of heartbreak?

Love.

_Why did she have to be there that night? Why didn’t I just tell her to get out of my car?_

Unable to stop the swirling thoughts in my head, I ran a hand over my face as the city buildings flew by outside.

I didn't mean that. Not really.

She'd given me one of the best weeks of my life, personally, let alone the help she'd inadvertently supplied to my business.

I just wished I could have convinced her to stay. Whatever worries she had, I'd have done everything in my power to make them disappear.

But it was too late for us. (Y/N) had already left and made her feelings clear enough for me to get the hint. My love for her was not reciprocated.

And I was already nearing the tarmac to return home. With Ramon and my new deal set in place, there was no need to hang around any longer than necessary. Maybe once I was back in my familiar surroundings, back to my regular schedule, I’d forget about her.

But I knew I’d be lying to myself yet again.

There was no instant reset button when it came to matters of the heart.

I doubted I'd meet anyone quite like her again. She was unique in every aspect, and I was certain I would find no one that made me feel the way I did when I was with her.

I sighed as we made the turning for the airfield, knowing that I would likely never see her again. That realization hurt more than I could describe.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and got out of the car. It was windy, too much for my liking, but I forced my feet to take me up to the plane’s steps where I would leave this place behind. I made it halfway up the steps before I heard my name called from behind. It was muffled in the wind, so I thought nothing of it, but when it came a second time, I turned.

(Y/N) had just stepped out of her own vehicle.

She ran towards the plane.

My eyes widened, and for a second, I wondered if I had imagined her into existence, but when she reached the bottom of the steps, I dropped my bag at the top and swiftly moved back down, meeting her halfway.

Her hair whipped around her face in the harsh breeze, but it couldn't obscure the small, hopeful smile on her face.

"What...? How did you- I thought you couldn't do this?" I asked her, shaking my head a little in disbelief.

"I made a mistake. A huge, unfounded, horrible mistake. I'm just glad I caught you," she replied, and I saw tears glistening in her eyes. “I love you, Harrison. I _love_ you. I can’t lose you. We have to be together.”

I choked out a relieved laugh. “God, I love you.” I took her face in my hands and brought her in for a kiss that put all our past ones to shame. Her hair flew around us in our little bubble of just us two. Everything about this moment was perfect.

And she deserved perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, everyone! We hope you've enjoyed reading this one as much as we did writing it. xo


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